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The 

Proclamation of Liberty 



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Unpardonable Sin 



By ALBION F. PALLENGER 

AUTHOR OF 

" Power for Witnessing " 



"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the 
Inhabitants thereof." Lev. 25: 10. 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath 
anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath 
sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and the recover- 
ing of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are 
bruised." Luke 4:18, R. V. 



RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA 

1915 



-^^ 






Copyright 1915 
By Albion F. Ballenger 



/ 

DEC 10 1915 

©CI.A4i6796 



PREFACE 

If the reader would know at once what is the central 
thought, — the all-absorbing theme, — the body, soul and 
spirit of this book, it is summed up in the final words of 
our dying Lord, ''It is finished." This is an effort to 
reveal something of the unsearchable riches of redemp- 
tion declared finished in these three tragic but triumphant 
words. 

For four thousand years the God of all grace labored 
to focus men's eyes on the facts of this finished work. 
Every bleeding lamb from Eden's gate to Golgotha's 
grave foreshadowed that momentous hour. And when 
that hour is passed, a new symbol — the blood of the grape 
and the broken bread — points back to that same solemn 
hour. That which an all-wise God has tried, in all ages, 
by all means, to get all men to see, must be in His mind 
all-important. 

The great apostle to the Gentiles comprehended more 
clearly than other men the fullness of that finished work. 
To his Corinthian converts he declared his working creed 
in this brief sentence : "I determined not to know any- 
thing among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 
With this truth came an enthusiasm which neither ship- 
wreck nor starving, scourging nor stoning could destroy. 

O for more such ''chief of sinners" saved by grace, 
whom a backsliding Barnabas, a dissembling Simon, or 
a departing Demas cannot discourage ; whom modern 
commercialism, or criticism, or creedism cannot conquer! 

Though dealing with deep things, the author has 
striven at every step to make the path so plain that the 

5 



6 PREFACE 

feeblest wayfarer may find the way. At the same time it 
is hoped that the devoted student, famihar with the con- 
troversies of Calvinism, Universalism and Arminianism, 
may find in these pages some helpful thoughts. 

With rejoicing this book is sent forth as a companion 
to "Power for Witnessing," and the author prays that 
it may reveal to some waiting soul the gospel truth that 
he need wait no longer for full salvation, but may now, 
by faith, take this gift already given through that work 
of Christ of which He declared with His final breath, 
"It is finished." 

"Then doubt not thy welcome since God has declared 
There remaineth no more to be done; 
That once in the end of the world He appeared, 
And completed the work He begun," 





CONTENTS 


PAGE 


I. 


Proclaim Liberty 


9 


11. 


Deliverance Through Death 


12 


III. 


"Liberty Through Life'' 


19 


IV. 


'Tell Him He Is Freed" (Illustrated) . 


21 


V. 


"Tell Him He Is Free" (Applied) . . 


25 


VL 


"We Know No Man after the Flesh" . 


30 


VII. 


"Made Free without Money" . 


37 


VIII. 


"The Price of Liberty" 


42 


IX. 


"Freed from the Law" 


50 


X. 


"Under Grace" 


56 


XI. 


"Is Christ under Law Today ? " . 


60 


XII. 


'1 Never Was a Slave" 


67 


XIII. 


"Shall We Sin to Show We Are Free?" 


73 


XIV. 


A Freeman's Frock on a Bondman's 






Back (Illustrated) 


78 


XV. 


A Freeman's Frock on a Bondman's 






Back (Applied) 


83 


XVI. 


Making Freemen by Force .... 


88 


XVII. 


Freedom by Faith Only 


90 


XVIII. 


Burying the Bondman ; or. Faith at 






Work 


95 


XIX. 


The Unpardonable Sin 


102 


XX. 


What Is Not the Unpardonable Sin . 


105 


XXI. 


What Is the Unpardonable Sin? . 


112 


XXII. 


A Great Difficulty Solved .... 

7 


118 



8 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

XXIII. The Unpardonable Sin and the 

Second Death 129 

XXIV. "That He Might Himself Be Just'^ 135 
XXV. The Part the Law Plays in the 

Unpardonable Sin 137 

XXVI. Liberty Is Not License .... 144 
XXVII. Serving in Newness of Life . . 151 
XXVIII. *'DoTH Not the Son Bear the Iniq- 
uity of the Father?" . . . . 155 
XXIX. ''Visiting the Iniquities of the 

Fathers upon the Children"' . . 159 
XXX. The Proclamation of Liberty in 

THE New Covenant 164 

XXXI. The Slavemaster As Minister of 

Liberty 178 

XXXII. The Ambassador's Enthusiasm . 187 

XXXIII. How God Overcomes When He Is 

Judged ^ . . . 190 

XXXIV. Proclaiming Liberty without a 

Proclamation 197 

XXXV. Proclaiming Liberty with a Proc- 
lamation . . 203 

XXXVI. Faithless Freedmen 208 

XXXVII. The Blessings of Bondage . . .211 

XXXVIII. Faultfinding Freedmen .... 216 

XXXIX. The Faithful Freedmen . . . 230 
XL. The Original Proclamation, Is It 

Authentic? 235 

XLI. The Word of Their Testimony . 240 

XLII. False Witnesses 248 

XLIII. How THE Cause Was Once Saved . 252 

XLIV. Personal Experience .... 256 
XLV. A Wonderful Deliverance from 

Sin and Sickness 259 



The Proclamation of Liberty and the 
Unpardonable Sin 



" PROCLAIM LIBERTY " 

Among those who attended the services was a man 
who Hstened earnestly to the proclamation of liberty, but 
who could see nothing in it. Was he not a slave to his 
besetting sins? Had he not labored and struggled to be 
free from the tyranny of his inherited and cultivated 
tendencies to sin? How could it be that he was free 
when he was so evidently enslaved? 

As one after another of those who had accepted the 
blessed message testified to the peace and joy and victory 
they were experiencing in believing, he would look at 
them with a perplexity which seemed to say: ''I can't 
understand it. It is all foolishness to me. How can a 
man be free when he is a slave?" But the joyful wit- 
nessing of the others impressed him that there must be 
something real in it not yet discovered by him. 

At the close of the service he came forward and said, 
"Won't you explain this to me privately ? " Our inter- 
view lasted until midnight, with no apparent success. 
The following evening the same request was made, with 
no better results. 

The next afternoon the Lord was sought in earnest 
prayer for power to make the gospel plain so that the 
weakest might understand. Soon the man came in and 
said : ''I am afraid you will leave before I am delivered." 
With a heart yearning to help him, I replied, "You are 

9 



10 "PROCLAIM LIBERTY" 

free. The Lord has already set you free." Out of re- 
spect for the messenger he did not contradict the state- 
ment, but his face wore an expression of pain at what 
seemed to be a plain contradiction of the facts. 

"Here is an illustration that will help you," was the 
answer: ''On January first, 1863, the President of the 
United States issued an emancipation proclamation, pro- 
claiming liberty to all the slaves within the Southern 
States, then in rebellion. After that proclamation, how 
many slaves were there in those States ? " 

''None," the man replied. 

"But notwithstanding that proclamation, there were 
colored men and women who continued in slavery long 
after the proclamation was made. Some had kind mas- 
ters and did not desire to leave ; but others who longed 
for freedom were kept in ignorance of the proclamation 
that had made them free. They were driven into the 
fields to work like beasts of burden, as if they had never 
been set free. Are they not freed men ? " 

"Yes," replied the man. 

"Have their former masters any right to treat them 
as slaves ? " 

"No," was the quick reply. 

"Have they any lawful power to treat them as 
slaves ? " 

"No," came the answer with increasing confidence. 

"How long will the colored man continue to serve as 
a slave ? " 

"Until he learns that he is not a slave," replied the 
man with a gleam of hope in his face. 

"How long will his old master continue to treat him 
as a beast of burden ? " 

"Until the colored man learns that he cannot enslave 
him." 

"The old master knows that the moment the colored 



"PROCLAIM LIBERTY" 11 

man learns that he is free, his unlawful control over him 
is ended. On what, then, does the poor man's bondage 
and the slave master's power rest? " 

"On the ignorance of the colored man." 

"His ignorance of what?" 

"His ignorance of the fact that he has been pro- 
claimed free." 

"Then he will experience freedom the moment he be- 
lieves what is already proclaimed, in the proclamation, 
that he is free." 

"Yes." 

"And so w'ill you. You were born a slave because 
you were born with a slave's nature, and through this 
carnal nature you have transgressed the law of God, and 
have thus added to your slavery. But Christ came and 
took your carnal nature, together with your sins, and 
carried all to Calvary, and was crucified and there died 
as your substitute. When he died as your substitute, the 
price was paid for your deliverance from the bondage of 
sin. 'For he that is dead is freed from sin.' 

"Here is your emancipation proclamation. You have 
been free all these years, in the plan of the proclamation, 
but you did not know it. You did not believe the procla- 
mation. The President of the Universe proclaimed you 
free long ago ; but you did not believe it, and so you have 
lived as Satan's slave, though proclaimed long ago to be 
God's free man." 

Without saying a word the man arose, went to his 
room, and kneeling, offered praise and thanksgiving to 
God for the freedom which had been his, but which until 
now he had not accepted. When he returned he was in- 
deed a transformed man. And when opportunity was 
offered in the evening service, he bore glad witness to the 
deliverance he had experienced through faith in the free- 
dom proclaimed through the cross. In order that the 



12 " PROCLAIM LIBERTY " 

reader may get a true conception of the change wrought 
in this man's Hfe on this occasion, a letter from him, 
received six months later, has been inserted at the close 
of chapter five. 



II 

DELIVERANCE THROUGH DEATH 

During the civil war a number of drafts were made 
in the state of New York, and as a result of one of them 
a young married man was drawn. 

When the letter notifying him of the fact reached his 
home the young wife and children cried and clung to 
him as if the notice was a sentence of death. So many 
of the neighbors had gone to the front never to return, 
or returning only to fill a new made grave in the city 
cemetery, that a summons to the front seemed to the sor- 
rowing ones the same as a call from the angel of death. 

A young unmarried man living in the home watched 
the scene until he could endure it no longer. 

"John," said the young man, "you need not go. I 
will go as your substitute ! Mary, stop your crying ! Chil- 
dren, wipe away your tears ! I will go in John's place. 
If I am killed there will be no widow and no orphans 
left to mourn." 

It is needless to say that the hearts of the little group 
were filled with gratitude. But it was not many months 
before this saviour-substitute returned a corpse, and John 
and Mary and the children followed it sorrowing to the 
cemetery. 

More men were needed and another draft was or- 
dered, and again the young husband was drawn. Again 
the mother and children began to weep as before, but 



DELIJ'ERAXCE THROUGH DEATH 13 

John soon comforted them with the assurance that he 
would not need to go. 

Taking the notice with him he went to the recruiting 
office and handing it to the officer, said : 

"The man named in that draft is dead." 

"But," responded the officer, "is not that your name ?'' 

"Yes ; but I am dead." 

"You look very much alive." 

"That may be, but I am dead. I was drawn by the 
preceding draft, and a friend volunteered to go as my 
substitute and went, was killed, and his body now lies 
among the stricken soldiers beneath the snow in the city 
cemetery. Therefore, I am dead to the law of that draft 
by the body of my substitute who is sleeping there." 

"That is right," replied the officer, "You cannot kill a 
man but once. You are counted dead to the law through 
the body of your substitute." 

And this is the meaning of the words of Paul : 

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead 
to the law through the body of Christ." Rom. 7 : 4. 
(R. V.) 

This term "made dead" is translated "put to death" 
in Luke 21 : 16 and 1 Pet. 3 : 18, and that is its literal 
meaning. 

As John was put to death to the law that drafted 
him, in the death of his substitute, so the sinner was put 
to death to the law when Christ was "put to death in the 
flesh" (1 Pet. 3: 18) as the substitute for the sinner. 

As a result, Paul declares : "We have been discharged 
from the law, having died to that wherein we were 
holden ; so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in 
the oldness of the letter." Rom. 7:6. (R. V.) 

Thus the death of Christ is the emancipation procla- 
mation that has redeemed a world from the curse of the 
law. 



DELIVERANCE THROUGH DEATH 15 

The power of Pentecost was given to men to enable 
them to proclaim the gospel, — the good news that (iod 
hoLs set free a world of slaves. Mark the tense, — that 
God has set them free. A realization of this glorious 
truth is necessary before any soul is prepared for the 
power of Pentecost. No soul will ever realize this truth 
who does not experience the emancipating power of the 
cross of Calvary. 

The power of Pentecost is given to proclaim the good 
news that men are free; "to proclaim liberty to the cap- 
tives" ; to proclaim an open door to their prison — not a 
door to he opened. 
The cross of Calvary is this open door. 

To illustrate: If, after the President of the United 
States had issued his Emancipation' Proclamation, which 
set free four millions of slaves, he had chosen you as his 
agent to go into the slave-holding States and publish the 
good news of the proclamation, what would you proclaim? 
Would you tell them that the President was going to set 
them free? If you did, you would not be telling the truth, 
and the President would not choose you and furnish you 
with power and protection to proclaim any such message. 
If you faithfully published the good news of the procla- 
mation, you would tell the colored man that the President 
had set him free. It matters not how much apparent 
slavery you meet, in order to be loyal to your commis- 
sion, to the President and the proclamation, you must 
utterly refuse to recognize any man as a slave. Even 
though the colored man himself insists that he is a slave, 
that he was born a slave, that his father and mother are 
both slaves, you must be loyal to the gospel you were 
commissioned to preach ; you must persistently deny that 
the man is a slave, and as persistently tell him that he is 
a free man. You must show him the proclamation and 
tell him that by that proclamation he is now a free man 



16 DELIVERANCE THROUGH DEATH 

regardless of his race, color, or previous condition of 
servitude. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a procla- 
mation, only greater liberty is granted in the Gospel, and 
there is greater power behind its proclamation. 

The Apostle Paul was so enthusiastic in proclaiming 
this Gospel of liberty that his enemies declared he was 
insane. But he explains his enthusiasm thus : 

"For whether we are beside ourselves, it is unto God ; 
or whether we are of sober mind, it is unto you. For the 
love of Christ constraineth us ; because we thus judge, 
that one died for all, therefore all died." 2 Cor. 5 :13, 14, 
R. V. 

But what is there in this that creates enthusiasm? 

Everything ! It contains the truth that emancipated a 
world of slaves. It is sin that works death, that enslaves 
men. "Whosoever committeth sin is the slave of sin.' 
John 8 : 34. Consequently all were enslaved. "We have 
before proved both Jew and Gentile that they are all 
under sin." Rom. 3 : 9. "But the Scripture hath con- 
cluded all under sin." Gal. 3 : 22. "For all have sinned 
and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3 : 23. 

Because all the world had sinned, all the world must 
die. "For the wages of sin is death." Rom. 6 : 23. "By 
one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; 
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have 
sinned." Rom. 5:12. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth 
forth death." James 1 :15. 

From the foregoing it is plain that the Father, in send- 
ing His Son "to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 
4:14), sent Him to save a world of slaves, whose doom 
was death, and who were awaiting the day of execution. 
Would there not be joy in a city whose citizens were con- 
demned to die, and who were being marched to the place 
of execution, weeping and moaning in hopeless despair, 
if a herald should suddenly appear with pardon for all? 



DELIVERANCE THROUGH DEATH \7 

The reason men and women are not more enthusiastic 
over the Gospel is because they have never reahzed the 
hopeless death from which the Gospel saves them. 

Consider again the world of slaves awaiting execu- 
tion. Instead of carrying out the death sentence and put- 
ting the world to death, God placed the world's transgres- 
sions on His Son, and His Son died in the place of the 
world. He gladly took the world's sins and willingly 
died, ''that the world through Him might be saved." John 
3:17. Here is the proof that all this has been done,— 
proof taken from the proclamation of liberty: 

"Who gave Himself for our sins." Gal. 1 : 4. "He 
hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that 
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 
2 Cor. 5:21. "Who His own self bare our sins in His 
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should 
live unto righteousness ; by whose stripes ye are healed." 
1 Peter 2:24. 

And now in order that all may realize that Christ bore 
the sins of the whole world, notice these scriptures : 

"He is the propitiation for our sins : and not for ours 
only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2 :2. 
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of 
the world." John 1 : 29. "God was in Christ, reconciling 
the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses 
unto them." 1 Cor. 5 : 19. "We see Jesus, who was made 
a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, 
. . . that He by the grace of God should taste death for 
every man." Heb. 2 : 9. 

And now since God imputed the sins of the whole 
world to His Son, and His Son bore the sins of the whole 
world in His own body on the tree ; and since He died 
as a substitute for the whole sinning world, it follows 
that when Christ died, the whole sinning zvorld died. And 
this is what made the Apostle Paul so enthusiastic in 



18 DELIVERANCE THROUGH DEATH 

preaching the Gospel, and this is what he meant when he 
said: "The love of Christ constraineth us, because we 
thus judge, that one died for all, therefore aU died." 
1 Cor. 5:21, R. V. 

Now appears the cause for the great rejoicing. Since 
all the world has died, aU the world is freed from sin. 
''For he that is dead is freed from sin." Rom. 6 : 7. 

Reader, does this paragraph from the emancipation 
proclamation make you glad? That we may appreciate 
this triumphant truth in greater fullness, let us go to 
Calvary. 

Who is that man staggering beneath that heavy cross ? 
He is the Christ, the only begotten of the Father. 

Little does He look like the Son of God, His face is 
so marred. He looks more like a sin-burdened, grief- 
stricken, sorrowing son of man. 

And this He is. He is wounded for our transgres- 
sions. He is bruised for our iniquities. His Father has 
laid on Him the iniquity of us all. And not ours only, 
but the iniquities of the whole world. 

Is He, therefore, the substitute for the whole sinning 
world ? 

Yes, God is dealing with Him not as a sinless Son, 
but as a substitute for a whole sinning world. Let us 
linger here and watch this terrible transaction. Now they 
have spiked Him to the cross, the whole world is being 
crucified. Listen : 

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? " 
Why has God forsaken Him? Why has His Father 
turned His face from Him in this awful hour? 

Because He is cursed with the sins of an accursed 
world, and God cannot look with favor on the sins of the 
world. 

Darkness gathers, God seems angry. O how terrible 



DELIVERANCE THROUGH DEATH 19 

sin must be! He is dying, the whole world is dying. 
Listen : 

"It is finished." 

The whole world is dead ; One died for all, therefore 
all died. 

*'He that is dead is freed from sin." The whole world, 
having died, is freed from sin. 

This is the Gospel. This is the glad tidings that is 
proclaimed in God's Emancipation Proclamation. It is 
with this truth that men pass to Pentecost for pozver to 
proclaim liberty. 

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me ; because the 
Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the 
meek; ... to proclaim liberty to the captives." Isa. 
61 :L 



III 

» 

•• LIBERTY THROUGH LIFE " 

Let us wait here. There is more to see. 

How changed everything appears. The darkness is 
gone. The shuddering earth is still. How brightly the 
sun shines. God's anger is past. Let us follow that life- 
less form. It is still the whole world. 

But is not the whole world now free? 

Yes, but it is a freedom found only through death. 

Is there a future life for the world? 

The Father has claimed the body of His Son! It is 
rescued from the enemy. It is in the hands of God's 
friends. God loves His lifeless Son. He is no longer 
regarded as the sinner; "for he that is dead is freed from 
sin. 

The punishment is past, the penalty has been paid. 
God loves the lifeless world. Let us watch by the tomb. 



20 'LIBERTY THROUGH LIFE" 

The whole world is buried there. The infidels of the 
Roman guard keep watch. They do not know that they 
are standing guard at the tomb of a buried world. 

Yes, there is life for the world! God's messengers 
of life stand at the tomb. The earth trembles. The stone 
is rolled away — the Redeemer is risen ! God has given 
life to the whole world! 

"For the love of Christ constraineth us ; because we 
thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died : and 
that he died for all, that they which live should not hence- 
forth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for 
them and rose again." 2 Cor. 5 : 14, 15. 'Tor as in Adam 
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. 
15: 22. ''Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe we 
shall also live with Him. Knowing that Christ being 
raised from the dead dieth no more : death hath no more 
dominion over Him. For in that He died. He died unto 
sin once: but in that He liveth He liveth unto God. 
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to he dead indeed unto 
sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of un- 
righteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, 
a.<^". those that are alive from the dead." Rom. 6: 8-13. 

In Jesus Christ the whole world died for its sins, and 
then in Jesus Christ the whole world arose from the dead 
with a life that is freed from sin. This is the good news 
which the herald of the cross bears to the world. With 
this emancipation proclamation, he goes forth proclaim- 
ing liberty to all the world. And just as every herald of 
the President's proclamation of liberty utterly refused to 
recognize any man as a slave, so the herald of the Gospel 
must utterly refuse to recognize any man as a slave of 
sin. He must proclaim liberty to all men, tell all men that 
they are free notwithstanding their heredity or previous 
condition of servitude. 



"TELL HIM HE IS FREED" 21 



IV 



" TELL HIM HE IS FREED " (Illustrated) 

Come with me and look upon a scene which we will 
locate in Mississippi. A former slave, who was emanci- 
pated from slavery by the proclamation, has been ap- 
pointed to proclaim liberty to his brethren. A former 
slave is chosen because in announcing the gospel of lib- 
erty he can witness to the power of the proclamation, 
because the proclamation which he bears has set him free. 
And besides, seeing that he is free, and that he is a par- 
taker of the same flesh and blood as they, and was once 
a partaker of the same slavery, but now free, his brethren 
will the more easily believe his message. For his pro- 
tection, we will suppose that the President of the United 
States, the author of the proclamation, is with him. The 
place is a cotton plantation, and a cringing colored man 
lies half prostrate, his back bare and bleeding, with a 
powerful white man standing over him, lash in hand. 

President (addressing his colored herald) — "Go; take 
the proclamation and tell that colored man he is free." 

Herald — "On the authority of this proclamation of 
the President of the United States of America, I an- 
nounce to you that you are a free man. You are not a 
slave! You are a free man. That man standing over 
you is not your master." 

President — "Tell him he's free. Pay no heed to his 
doubts, show him that you are in earnest. Let him see 
that you believe what you tell him. Show him the procla- 
mation." 

Herald — "On the authority of this proclamation of 
the President of the United States which I hold in my 



22 "TELL HIM HE IS FREED" 

hand, I declare to you that you are a free man. You are 
no man's slave. Arise and go free." 

President — -''Read the proclamation to him, then bear 
your testimony. Tell him that you were once a slave, and 
that it was this same proclamation that set you free. Tell 
him of the freedom you now enjoy." 

Herald — ''Hear this proclamation of the President of 
the United States": 

" 'Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of 
the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as 
Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the 
United States in the time of actual armed rebellion 
against the authority and government of the United 
States, ... on this first day of January, in the year 
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, 
. . . do ordain and declare that all persons held as 
slaves within said designated States, and parts of 
States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the 
executive government of the United States, including 
the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize 
and maintain the freedom of said persons.' 

"These are the words of the proclamation, and they 
declare that you are a free man. I bear witness that they 
are true. Once I was a slave. My back bears witness to 
many a beating, but this proclamation set me free. I am 
now a free man. O my brother, I bring you tidings of 
great joy. Believe the proclamation, believe my witness 
tc its power. You are a free man!" 

Prostrate Man — "Why mock me? I am not a free 
man. I am this man's slave. My father is a slave and 
my mother is a slave, and I was born a slave. Can't you 
see this man with the lash ? I was born in his house. He 
owns me. He bought my father and mother and he says 
I belong to him the same as that mule at the plow." 

President — "Pay no attention to his unbelief. Go 



"TELL HIM HE IS FREED " 23 

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24 "TELL HIM HE IS FREED " 

close to him. Take him by the hand. Fear not, I am 
with you. Tell him he is free. Show him you are free. 
Let him see that you are not afraid of the lash." 

Herald — "I insist that you are a free man. This proc- 
lamation, which has all the power of the United States 
Government behind it, declares that you are a free man. 
And I, a freed man, once a slave, bear witness that there 
is power in this proclamation to set men free and to keep 
them free. And what is more, this man with the lash 
knows you are free. He knows the power of the author 
of this proclamation. He knows you are free, and he 
only fears that you will believe the proclamation and go 
freer 

Prostrate Man — "But I have tried many times to get 
free. Over and over again have I tried to escape, only to 
be followed and found by those keen-scented blood- 
hounds. This bleeding back is the result of my last hope- 
less effort to be free. I had decided never to try again, 
to live as I was born, a slave, and die as I have lived, a 
beast of burden. If I believe this proclamation, if I be- 
lieve what you tell me, if I assert my liberty, if I arise 
and declare myself a free man, will you protect me, will 
you defend me against this man, will you save me from 
the hounds ? " 

President — "Tell him that all power in the army and 
navy is pledged to sustain that proclamation. The very 
existence of the government of the United States is at 
stake in maintaining his freedom. The government has 
declared him free, and it must see that he is free, when 
he seeks its protection, or it must fall." 

Herald — "These are the words of the President of 
the United States. Arise, stand on your feet like a man. 
And now go to your brethren, tell them the liberty which 
you now enjoy." 



"TELL HIM HE IS FREED " 25 

Reader, would it not be disloyal to the power behind 
the proclamation to admit for a moment that the colored 
man is still a slave? To admit that he is a slave is to 
contradict the proclamation, to question its power, and 
uphold the slave-master. 



"TELL HIM HE IS FREE" (Applied) 

Now let us shift the illustration to the man, who, for 
thirty years, has been a slave to drink. His tyrant mas- 
ter stands over him with the lash that has so long com- 
pelled submission. A snap of the finger, a crack of the 
whip, a command from his imperious majesty, King Al- 
cohol, and the unwilling man obeys. That which was 
created in the image of God, cringes and crawds like a 
soulless cur. 

A herald of the King of Kings comes to him carry- 
ing a proclamation of liberty which proclaims him free 
from his beastly bondage. This herald himself was once 
a slave. Once he, too, cringed and cowed before the 
tyrant king. Once he crouched at the crack of the whip 
but now he is free. 

King of Kings — ''Proclaim liberty to that man. Take 
this proclamation and tell him he is free. All he needs 
to do is to believe the proclamation in order to realize the 
freedom that is his in the proclamation." 

Herald — **0n the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
King of Kings, I announce to you that you are a freed 
man. You are not a slave. You are a freed man. That 
tyrant standing over you is not your master." 

King of Kings — 'Tell him he has been set free. Pay 
no heed to his doubts. Show him that you are in earnest. 



26 "TELL HIM HE IS FREE" 

Let him see that you believe what you tell him. Show 
him the proclamation." 

Herald — '*On the authority of this proclamation from 
the King of Kings, which I hold in my hand, I declare to 
you that you are a freed man. You need never drink an- 
other drop of poison. Arise and go free." 

King of Kings — "Read the proclamation to him and 
then bear your testimony. Tell him you were once a slave 
to the same tyrant. Tell him it was the same proclama- 
tion that set you free. Tell him of the freedom you now 
enjoy." 

Herald — "These are the words of the proclamation, 
and they declare that you are a freed man. And I bear 
witness that they are true. Once I was a slave, but this 
proclamation set me free. Now I am a free man. O my 
brother, I bring you glad tidings of great joy. Believe 
the proclamation! Believe my testimony to its power! 
You are a freed man." 

Old Drunkard — "Why mock me! I am not a free 
man! I am the slave to drink; my father was a slave to 
drink, and so was my mother, and I was born a slave. 
Can you not see that I am a slave ? I was born in a public 
house, I was born to do evil as the sparks to fly upward. 
I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother con- 
ceive me. I am the bondservant of a depraved appetite." 

King of Kings — "Pay no attention to his unbelief. Go 
close to him ; take him by the hand. Fear not, I am with 
you. Tell him he is set free. Let him see that you are 
not afraid of King Alcohol." 

Herald — "I insist that you are a freed man. This 
proclamation which has all the power in heaven and earth 
behind it, declares that you are a free man. And I, a 
free man, once a slave, bear witness that there is power 
in the proclamation to set you free and keep you free. 
And what is more, that tyrant knows you are set free. 



"TELL HIM HE IS FREE" 27 

He knows the power of the author of the proclamation. 
He cringes before it. He knows that you are freed, and 
he only fears that you will believe the proclamation and 
experience the freedom that is already yours in the proc- 
l?mation." 

Old Drunkard — "But I have tried a hundred times 
to be free. Over and over again I have tried to escape 
from my slavery, only to be followed and captured by 
the tireless hounds of a depraved appetite. And my 
hopeless heart and condemned conscience is the fruit of 
my last failure. I had decided never to try again, to live 
as I was born, a slave, and to die as I have lived, a 
brutish man. But if I believe this proclamation, if I be- 
lieve what you tell me, if I assert my freedom from my 
lifelong enemy, if I arise and declare myself a free man, 
will this proclamation protect me? Will it defend me 
against the demon hounds of a depraved appetite? How 
much power is there behind that proclamation?" 

King of Kings — "Tell him all power in heaven and 
in earth is behind that proclamation. Tell him I will 
marshall the armies of heaven to defend him and dem- 
onstrate the power of the proclamation. My throne is 
at stake in that proclamation. I have declared him a 
freed man and I must see that he is kept free when he 
accepts his freedom, or I cease to be the King of Kings." 

Herald — "These are the words of the King of Kings. 
Arise ! You are a freed man ! for whom the Son makes 
free is free indeed. Now go to your house and declare 
what great things the Lord hath done for you." 

A Confirming Experience 

May the Lord use this letter for the encouragement 
of those who are seeking to liberate slaves through the 
name that is above every name, the name of Jesus. 

As far back as I can remember, I have had special 



28 "TELL HIM HE IS FREE" 

attention paid me by God's and man's fearful enemy, 
Satan, who has sought to work my ruin, and how nearly 
he accompHshed it God only knows. 

I was like one possessed of the devil. I cursed and 
swore and used the most filthy language a man was ever 
heard to use. Every time I came into the house I found 
fault with my wife, with the children, and with the food. 
As soon as my children heard my footsteps or my voice, 
the baby boy would crawl as fast as he could go and 
clutch his mother's skirts, out of my way ; and the other 
little one would be afraid to move. 

O that terrible time ! I would never have written this 
letter and shown myself up in this way if it were not to 
glorify my Saviour, Jesus, and help some poor slave who 
has given up in despair, who may think that you are tell- 
ing him there is deliverance, only to mock himx. It is no 
mockery, no idle tale. It is the living truth that there is 
deliverance from all sin, whether inherited or cultivated, 
and the Deliverer is this same Jesus. Only believe in 
Him, only believe He has delivered you, and no power 
on earth can enslave you. Satan cannot crack his whip 
and say, "Do this or do that, you slave!" But mention 
the name of Jesus and he will flee. 

My poor wife and poor children have been beaten 
about time and time again. I have struggled with the 
wife to get hold of the boy to beat him in my fury, and 
have so disfigured my wife's face that she has not been 
able to go out. Once in the dark, after we had gone to 
bed, I started to beat the boy, and gave my wife a swing- 
ing blow which nearly broke her nose, and one Sunday 
I took her upstairs to throw her over the banisters from 
the landing, but one of my neighbors came in at the 
time and that stopped me. 

Your friends may think that I have greatly colored 
this testimony. I wish it were possible to write a truth- 



'•TELL HIM HE IS FREE" 29 

ful account not so bad as this, but I have not told a tithe 
of the wickedness I have been guilty of, and no human 
being will ever know — only God knows. There is no sin 
that man could accuse me of that I am not guilty of, but 
thank the Lord, "old things are passed away ; behold ! 
all things are become new." And today I am free from 
all those things and many more that I have not men- 
tioned, for **whom the Son makes free is free indeed." 

If anyone doubts my word as to the change in me, let 
him write my wife, who will be only too glad to give her 
testimony to the change. [A letter received from her 
some six months after the above was received bore un- 
qualified and joyful witness to the wonderful change that 
had been wrought in her husband as described in this 
letter.— A. F. B.] 

Before closing, I thank the Lord for what he has 
done for me, and for the deliverance he has wrought for 
this poor man, once a slave to the lusts of the flesh, the 
lust of the eye, and the pride of life, but now seated in 
heavenly places in Christ Jesus, clothed in God's right- 
eousness and in his right mind, the mind of Christ. 

Now, instead of being domineered over by sin and 
Satan, I have dominion over them in Christ. I bless the 
Lord for the wonderful deliverance he has wrought, dear 
Brother Ballenger, through your instrumentality. I hope 
to spend eternity with you. May you be used of the 
Lord to proclaim liberty to the captives, and may you 
have great joy in seeing thousands of slaves assert their 
freedom. 

I am glad you submitted yourself to the Lord and 
were victorious over sin, for if you had not been, you 
could not have been able to give me the help that I so 
badly needed, and which if it had not come when it did, 
would have be«n, I fear, too late. You are quite at lib- 
erty to use this letter in helping someone else. 



30 "TELL HIM HE IS FREED " 

Another Witness 

I have a testimony to give to the keeping power of 
God, through Christ Jesus. Since Wednesday, October 
16, 1901, I have had no desire to practice the sin which 
had so easily beset me for over thirty years. I can say, 
to the glory of God, that from that time to the present 
I have not had the slightest desire to partake of strong 
drink. 

Of all the Scriptures which you were favored to ex- 
pound, the following made the most impression: "For 
the death that he died, he died unto sin once; but the 
life that he liveth he liveth unto God. Even so reckon 
ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto 
God in Christ Jesus." Rom. 6: 10, 11. (R. V.) 

The little word "in" means very much. Belief in 
Christ unites to Christ, and the freedom from sin which 
belongs to Him belongs to us. I am growing in the real- 
ization that God in Christ is all sufficient for all things, 
and at all times. We are not told to feel ourselves dead 
unto sin, but to reckon as God reckons. Sin is dead to 
Christ and should be to every believer. 

You may tell the vilest sinner on earth that there is 
deliverance in Christ the moment he believes. 



VI 
"WE KNOW NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH" 

The burden of this book is to reveal to the sinner his 
standing before God and the law as it really is from 
God's standpoint, for God looks upon the sinner not 
through the sinning and enslavement of the "first man" 
— Adam — but through the righteousness and emancipa- 
tion of the "last Adam" — Christ. 



"WE KNOW NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH" 31 

The Apostle Paul refused to recognize any man as 
a slave of sin. This is what he meant when he wrote: 
"Henceforth know we no man after the flesh." 2 Cor. 
5 : 16. And this he wrote as the conclusion of his argu- 
ment proving that Christ died for the whole world, and 
arose from the dead for the whole world. 

Notice the argument again: 

For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we 
thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died : and 
he died for all, that they which live should no longer live 
unto themselves but unto Him who for their sakes died 
and rose again. Wherefore we henceforth know no man 
after the flesh ; even though we have known Christ after 
the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. 2 Cor. 
5:14-16. (R. V.) 

What is it to know a man after the flesh? 

To know Christ after the flesh, was to know Him 
burdened with the accursed human nature of a race of 
slaves. It is to know Him as the bearer of the sins of 
the world. It is to know Him "made of a woman, made 
under the law." It is to know Him without knowing 
that He died and that He arose from the dead. But in- 
asmuch as we know that He died and rose again, we 
know Him now free from the dominion of sin and death 
— "knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth 
no more. Death hath no more dominion over Him. For 
in that He dieth, He died unto sin once; but in that He 
liveth. He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also 
yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord," Rom. 6:9-11. 

"Henceforth, know we no man after the flesh." 

What was it to know a colored man after the flesh — 
before the proclamation of liberty? It was to know him 
as a slave. What is it to know a man after the flesh 
without knowing of the death and resurrection of Christ ? 



32 "WE KNOW NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH " 

It is to know him as a hopeless slave to sin. Does not 
this ignore plain facts? How can you say to the old 
slave, on whose mind and heart the demon Drink has 
been forging its fetters for many years, ''You are a free 
man," when he is so manifestly a slave ? 

It is not denied for a moment that man, in himself 
considered, is a slave of sin, for ''Whosoever committeth 
sin is a slave of sin." John 8 : 34. This is an effort to 
get man to see his standing in Christ, who was delivered 
for our offenses, and raised again for our justification ; 
and who, as our forerunner, entered within the veil and 
sat down on the right hand of God after he had offered 
one sacrifice for sins forever. 

This is the standpoint from which Paul viewed the 
world, and it was this glorious gospel of salvation ac- 
complished in Christ which made of Paul the most en- 
thusiastic preacher of abounding grace since the great 
Teacher returned to His Father's throne. 

After the apostle said, "For the love of Christ con 
straineth us, because we thus judge, that one died for 
all, therefore all died," he says : "Wherefore, we hence- 
forth know no man after the flesh." 2 Cor. 5 : 14-16. 
(R. V.) 

To know a man after the flesh is to know him born 
a slave of sin and death, in Adam. But to know a man 
as God knows him in Christ, is to know him as belonging 
to a new creation — saved, ransomed, "reconciled to God 
by the death of His Son." 

Often have I looked upon the thousands that throng 
the streets of our great cities, and said to myself, "1 
know no man 'after the flesh.' I know all these men and 
women through the reconciling blood of the cross. I 
know them as 'reconciled to God by the death of His 
Son.' And O how I wish they would listen while I 



"IVE KNOIV NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH" 33 

tell them the gospel story, and beseech them, 'In Christ's 
stead, be ye reconciled to God.' " 

When the sinner comes to believe that he is redeemed 
from the curse of the law because Christ bore his curse 
for him on the tree — when he comes to feel and act and 
look like a redeemed man, that feeling and acting has 
not changed God's feelings toward him ; his faith has 
changed his feelings toward God. 

The shepherd's feelings toward the lost sheep, as he 
hunts through "the mountains, thunder-riven," are not 
changed toward the lost sheep when he finds him. His 
feelings of sorrow are changed into rejoicing, but his 
love for the sheep is not changed. 

Heaven's love for lost sinners is not changed when 
one sinner is found. Heaven's sorrow for that sinner is 
changed into rejoicing, but heaven's love is unchanged. 
"I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in Heaven 
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety 
and nine righteous persons which need no repentance." 
Luke 15:7. (R. V.) 

The father's love for his prodigal son did not change 
when the boy left home, nor when he started to return. 
There was a change in the father when the boy returned, 
but it was a change from sorrow to rejoicing. 

If the father's love for his son depended on the son's 
commandment-keeping, then his love would have changed 
when the boy left home, and again when he returned. 

The elder son thought that parental love ought to de- 
pend on commandment-keeping, and hence he protested 
against the love shown his prodigal brother. He said 
to his father in his protest against the joyous music and 
dancing and the killing of the fatted calf at his lawless 
brother's return: "Lo! these many years do I serve 
thee; neither transgressed I at any time thy command- 
ment ; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might 



34 "WE KNOW NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH " 

make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy 
son was come, which hath devoured thy Hving with har- 
lots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf." Luke 
15:29. 

This elder brother was a stranger to love, and to the 
gracious gifts which that love gives to undeserving trans- 
gressors. He typified the poor, ignorant, loveless, grace- 
less, legal, self-righteous Pharisees who were going 
about to establish their own righteousness, and were not 
submitting to the righteousness of God which is the free 
gift of His grace to all men. And the theological de- 
scendants of this same elder brother will condemn as 
heretical the gracious truths of this book. But I would 
infinitely rather be a home-coming, humble, loving, ap- 
preciative, prodigal son than a hard-hearted, self-right- 
eous, legal, loveless elder brother who is blind to this 
glorious truth. "Who hath saved us, and called us with 
an holy calling, not according to our works, but accord- 
ing to his own purpose and grace [unmerited favor] 
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world 
began." 2 Tim. 1 : 9. 

The fact that the unbelieving sinner does not feel 
saved, or act saved, does not change the fact that the 
Lord "hath saved" him according to His own purpose 
and grace [not according to his works] which was given 
us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 

When the sinner shall come to believe that the Lord 
saved him according to His own purpose, and not ac- 
cording to the sinner's purpose, "according to His own 
grace" and "not according to our works," when the sin- 
ner shall come to believe that he was thus saved by 
the purpose of God which He purposed "in Christ Jesus 
before the world began" — when the sinner shall believe 
all this, his faith does not change God's gracious atti- 
tude toward him, but it does change his attitude toward 



"WE KNOW NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH" 35 

God. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great 
love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead 
in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, 
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not 
of yourselves ; it is the gift of God : not of works, lest 
any man should boast." Eph. 2 : 4-9. 

Objector — But how can you say he is free? 

Answer — Because the national government, speaking 
through the President, says he is free. 

Objector — But the man is ignorant of the proclama- 
tion. 

Answer — Yes. 

Objector — He believes he is a slave. 

Answer — Yes. 

Objector — And he looks and acts like a slave. 

Answer — Yes. 

Objector — Then isn't he a slave? 

Answer — But the President says he is free. 

Objector — But how can he be a freed man when he 
looks and feels and acts like a slave? 

Answer — But has the President lied ? He says by the 
authority of the national government that the man is 
free. And moreover, he commands the army and navy 
to recognize that the man is free. And still more, he 
commands the army and navy to keep the man free. 

Objector — But I cannot see how he can be called free 
when he is so manifestly a slave. 

Answer — Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, 
the same national government held this man a slave, and 
held the man who owned him to be his lawful slave mas- 
ter. If the colored man escaped from his master into 
a so-called free state, the national government sent him 
back to his master. And if necessary, the whole power 
of the army and navy would be used to accomplish this. 

But now the same government not only declares him 



36 "IVE KNOW NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH" 

a free man, and his former master not his master at all, 
but it will now use the same army and navy to protect 
the man in the enjoyment of his freedom. Do you see 
that the standing of the man before the law of the nation 
is radically reversed? The same government that before 
accounted him a slave, and the man who owned him, his 
master, and used its power to keep him in slavery, now 
declares him a free man and pledges its power to keep 
him free. 

It matters not how much he looks like a slave, or 
feels like a slave, or acts like a slave, in the eyes of the 
power that once enslaved him he is now a free man. 
His ignorance, or unbelief, cannot change the fact that, 
whereas once the government counted him a slave and 
kept him in slavery, now the same government counts 
him a free man and pledges its power to keep him free. 

Notice, — All that is now necessary in order for him 
to look and feel and act like a free man is to believe he 
is free, and believe the promise of the government to 
keep him free. No new proclamation is needed when he 
believes he is free. His belief that he is free does not 
change the government's feelings and actions toward 
him, but it does change his own feelings and actions to- 
ward the government. 

In like manner, the fact is, that "when we were 
enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His 
Son." And the gloomy fact that we did not look or feel 
like reconciled men, does not change the glorious fact 
that "when we were enemies we were reconciled to God 
by the death of His Son." 

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, 
being made a curse for us," when he hung on the tree. 
And the sad fact that the sinner still feels and looks and 
acts like one cursed by the law, does not change the 
fact that he is redeemed from the curse of the law. 



'MADE FREE WITHOUT MONEY" 37 



VII 

"MADE FREE WITHOUT MONEY" 

The Government of the United States made no bar- 
gain, no covenant with its four millions of slaves before 
declaring them free. The slaves were not required to 
make any promises as to what use they would make of 
their liberty. They were not asked to pay the Govern- 
ment a penny for their freedom. They were not even 
asked whether they would accept their liberty if it were 
given them. 

The Government in order to declare its own right- 
eousness, and purge itself from the reproach of slavery 
and in order that the slaves might enjoy the blessings of 
liberty, freely, set them free without any promise or de- 
sire for remuneration from the freed men. Without 
reference to works which they had done, or works which 
they should do, they were proclaimed free. 

They were given their liberty as freely as they had 
been given their slavery. Not one of the four millions of 
slaves had ever bargained for his slavery. It was given 
to all free. Yes, more: it was forced upon them. By 
their very birth they were slaves. Not one of them was 
consulted as to whether he desired to be born a slave. 
He was brought into the world a slave without his knowl- 
edge or consent ; he was born a slave, must live a slave, 
and die a slave. 

Consequently, the Government, in order to liberate its 
slaves, must give them liberty as freely as they had been 
given slavery. If they refuse to be free, if they prefer 
to continue in servitude as before, the Government will 
not force them to accept their freedom. But it did de- 
clare them free, and refused to recognize any man as a 



38 "MADE FREE WITHOUT MONEY'' 

slave or any man as a slave master, and thus threw on 
the freed man the responsibility of any future bondage. 

This illustrates the blessed gospel of liberty pro- 
claimed by the God of all grace, through His Son, Jesus 
Christ. It shows how full and free it must be to reach 
a race of slaves to sin. Not one member of the human 
family ever bargained for his birth into this world a 
slave of sin. It was given to the whole race as a free 
gift. And once given, there was no possible escape from 
it. No efforts of his own could free him. With his gift 
of a carnal nature, he could no more help sinning than 
the thorn tree could avoid bearing thorns. He could no 
more save himself from sinning than the slave could save 
himself from the color of his skin. 

And God knew that. ''Can the Ethiopian change his 
skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do 
good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jer. 14 : 23. "For 
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, 
sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not; for 
what I would, that do I not; for what I hate, that do 
I." "For I delight in the law of God after the inward 
man: but I see another law in my members, warring 
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into cap- 
tivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O 
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from 
the body of this death?" Rom. 7: 14, 15, 22, 23. 

A carnal nature, which cannot but sin, was given to 
the whole human race through Adam, the slave of sin. 
Having become a sinner, Adam passed on to his posterity 
a sinning nature whose doom is death. Consequently, 
when God, who loved the world even while they were 
sinners, undertook "to save the world," it became neces- 
sary for him to make the gift of righteousness and life 
as free to the human race as Adam's gift of carnality 
and death had been. This is the argument of the Apostle 



"MADE FREE WITHOUT MONEY" 39 

Paul in the fifth chapter of Romans. "Wherefore, as 
by one man sin entered into the world, and death by 
sin, and so death passed upon all men for that all have 
sinned, . . . Therefore, as by the ofifence of one 
judgment came upon all men to condemnation ; even so 
by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon 
all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's 
disobedience, the many (R. V.) were made sinners, so 
by the obedience of one shall the many (R. V.) be made 
righteous. . . . Where sin abounded, grace did 
much more abound." Rom. 5 : 12, 18, 19, 20. 

Seeing that sin abounded to the whole race, so grace, 
or the forgiveness of sin, abounded to the whole race. 
And just as the government of the United States did not 
covenant with the slaves before setting them free, so the 
government of the universe did not covenant or bargain 
with the slaves of sin before setting them free. We were 
not asked to make any promises ; we were not even asked 
whether we would accept the pardon if it were pro- 
claimed ; we were not asked to pay for the pardon ; we 
were forgiven without being asked to pay for the for- 
giveness, either by good works which we had done or 
good works which we would do. Surely, we did not pay 
for our pardon; for we were pardoned "when we were 
yet without strength," while we were still "ungodly," 
"dead in sins." "For when we were yet without strength 
in due time Christ died for the ungodly. . . . God 
commended his love toward us in that while we were 
yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then being 
now justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath 
through Him. For if, when we were sinners, we were 
reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, 
being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Rom. 
5 : 6, 8, 9, 10. 

**And you hath He quickened, who were dead in tres- 



40 "MADE FREE WITHOUT MONEY" 

passes and sins ; wherein in times past ye walked accord- 
ing to the course of this world, according to the prince 
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the 
children of disobedience: among whom also we all had 
our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, 
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and 
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 
But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love where- 
with He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath 
quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved) 
and hath raised us up together and made us sit together 
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to 
come He might show the exceeding riches of his grace 
in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For 
by grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not of 
yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any 
man should boast." Eph. 2 : 1-9. 

After the Government of the United States had set 
free its four millions of slaves, it was then too late for 
them to earn their freedom by working for it, even if it 
had been possible, which of course it was not. It was 
even too late to promise to pay for their freedom by 
their good works which they might do after they were 
set free. 

Having been proclaimed free without any promise 
being made, all that is left for them to do is to accept 
their freedom and rejoice in it. So it is with the race of 
slaves known as the human race. It is impossible that 
salvation should be by works which we had done or 
should do, simply because the Lord did the work Himself 
without consulting the sinning world, and then after He 
had accomplished it. He sent heralds to tell the good news 
to all the world. "Not by works of righteousness which 
we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." 
Titus 3 : 5. 



"MADE FREE WITHOUT MONEY" 41 

"All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to 
Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the minis- 
try of reconciliation ; to wit, that God was in Christ, rec- 
onciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their tres- 
passes unto them, and hath committed unto us the word 
of reconciliation. Now we are ambassadors for Christ, 
as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in 
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath 
made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we 
might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 
5:18-21. 

And just as the herald of liberty to the American 
slaves would say, "You are made free ; accept your free- 
dom and be free" ; so the herald of the gospel today 
says to the world, "You are reconciled to God ; your 
sins were long ago placed upon the sin-bearer, and borne 
for you; you are free. Now be ye reconciled, and re- 
ceive your freedom and go free." 

Now God says that He did all this, first because He 
loved us ; and second, "that in ages to come He might 
show [exhibit] the exceeding riches of His grace in His 
kindness tow-ard us, through Christ Jesus." Eph. 2 : 7. 

God is on trial before the whole universe. His deal- 
ings with sinful man are being watched, and there must 
not be a shadow of injustice found in any of His deal- 
ings with even His enemies. But not only will no in- 
justice appear, "the exceeding riches of His grace in His 
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" will be the 
surpassing wonder through all the ages. 



42 "THE PRICE OF LIBERTY 



VIII 

"THE PRICE OF LIBERTY" 

That the sinner's ignorance and folly in attempting 
to earn salvation may more clearly appear, note the fol- 
lowing : 

A colored man in North Carolina decides to go to 
Washington and pay for his freedom. With a silver dol- 
lar he starts on his long journey, talking to himself in a 
most satisfied manner, thus : "I don't propose to enjoy 
this freedom for nothing. I pay for what I get. I want 
President Lincoln to know that there is one man in 
North Carolina that appreciates being free; and when I 
have paid for my freedom, I'll be under obligations to 
nobody. All the rest of the colored folks in our neigh- 
borhood will be nothing but charity folks, dependent on 
the President for their liberty. But I'll be different ; I'll 
be one who has paid for his freedom. All the rest will 
be people who were given their freedom like poorhouse 
folks get their living from charity. I feel like a superior 
person already, and when I get home I'll be head and 
shoulders above the other brethren. And I'll never stop 
telling them how I bought my freedom while theirs was 
given to them. I expect they will make me deacon or 
elder, or something I deserve like that." 

At length he reaches the Capitol and, obtaining an 
interview with the President, immediately makes known 
his business. 

Uncle Works — Mr. President, I've come all the way 
from North Carolina to pay for my freedom. I want 
you to know that there's one man in North Carolina that 
appreciates being free ; and here is the pay for my free- 
dom. (Offers the President a dollar.) 



"THE PRICE OF LIBERTY " 43 

President Lincoln — Wait a moment, Uncle. What did 
you pay for being a slave? 

Uncle Works — I didn't pay anything ; I was born that 
way. My father was a slave and my mother was a slave, 
and I was just born a slave and could not help myself. 

President Lincoln — Yes, just as I supposed. Did you 
make any bargain with the government that in case it 
would set you free you would pay it a dollar ? 

Uncle Works — O dear, no; I didn't know anything 
about it till it was all done. 

President Lincoln — Then, since you were not respon- 
sible for being made a slave, and did not promise to pay 
for your freedom, and since the government did not re- 
quire or desire that you pay for your liberty, why do you 
insist on paying for it? 

Uncle Works — I insist o?i paying for it, Mr. Presi- 
dent, because I don't want to humble myself to accept it 
as a charity. I don't want to be under obligations to any- 
body. I want to be able to say I paid for my freedom. 

President Lincoln — Then you insist on paying for it, 
do you? 

Uncle Works — I certainly do. 

President Lincoln — Then I must tell you that your 
dollar will not pay for it. And I want you to see that 
your offer to pay for it only shows how little you appre- 
ciate it. Can you figure. Uncle? 

It cost the lives, or limbs, or health of five hundred 
thousand able-bodied men to set you free. How many 
silver dollars would it take to equal in value 500,000 hus- 
bands and fathers, sons and brothers ? 

And besides these, there are 500,000 widows and or- 
phans, and sonless mothers, and brotherless sisters, who 
mourn the loss of husbands and fathers and sons and 
brothers. 

Furthermore, in order that you may get some little 







?-, 






"THE PRICE OF LIBERIY ' 45 

idea of what it cost to set you free, go to some church- 
yard where a widowed mother and her orphan children 
are kneeling around a newly made grave that holds a 
husband and father, and watch them weep, and hear 
their moans, and remember there are 500,000 widows and 
orphans and mothers and sisters who weep for their 
fallen husbands and fathers and sons and brothers. 

Uncle, how many silver dollars will it take to balance 
this mountain of human woe? And now since you in- 
sist upon paying the price of your freedom, dow^n with 
its millions! 

Uncle Works — O ^iv. President! I can't pay it. I 
never thought it cost so much. I am ashamed that I ever 
thought of paying for it. As you talked, this dollar that 
looked so big to me when you began, kept getting smaller 
and smaller until I am so ashamed of it that I want to 
get it out of sight. 

But, Mr. President, isn't there something that a poor 
old colored man can do to show his appreciation of the 
liberty that cost so much? Since you talked about what 
it cost to set me free, I believe I do really begin to ap- 
preciate my freedom. I will never try to pay for it. But 
can't I do something to show my appreciation of it? 

President Lincoln — Yes, indeed you can. Go home, 
Uncle, and live like a free man. Be obedient to the laws 
of your State, be respectful to all your neighbors, pay 
your honest debts, do unto others as you would be done 
by, and show by your life that you appreciate your free- 
dom. 

Uncle Works — I will do all that gladly, Mr. Presi- 
dent. 

President Lincoln — But, Uncle, ever remember that 
should you keep all the laws of the land perfectly, pay 
all your debts, do unto others as you would be done by, 
all your life, it would have no part in paying for your 



46 "THE PRICE OF LIBERTY" 

freedom ; that is already paid for, and is a free gift. Re- 
member that all your efforts to pay for it will only show 
how little you appreciate its cost. 

Reader, if you are ever tempted to try to pay for 
your salvation by good works, by law keeping, go back 
in mind to Gethsemane and Calvary where the debt was 
paid, where the millstone of a world's wickedness was 
carried to the cross, and cast into the sea of God's for- 
getfulness. 

Go back to Gethsemane's garden, where the mountain 
weight of a world's woes weighs the Redeemer to earth, 
and presses from His pores His precious blood. Watch 
while He staggers from the shadow of death to the 
weary watchmen who, for sorrow, are heavily sleeping. 

Watch, while alone He turns again and falls upon the 
blood-bathed earth, and in an agony of soul which no pen 
can picture, no tongue can tell, wills to drink to its dregs 
sin's bitter cup. Watch, while the angel lifts the faint- 
ing form, and ministers strength for the struggle that 
has scarce begun. 

Watch Him all the way from the garden to the grave. 
Watch the smiting and the spitting. Watch the mockery 
in the robing and crowning. Watch the scoffing and the 
scourging. 

Now follow the wailing, cursing crowd to Calvary's 
cross, and see the spiking and the bleeding, the mangling 
and moaning, the groaning and the weeping. 

Wait through the hours that lengthen like ages. Wait 
till the shadow of death drapes with its sable mantle the 
soul-piercing scene. Wait till out from the depths of the 
deepening darkness there comes that startling, piercing, 
freezing cry from the heart of the dying Redeemer, "My 
God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" 

Wait, sinner, wait for that closing, crowning cry, "It 
is finished." Behold the clashing clouds, the reeling 













bit 



^ 



48 "THE PRICE OF LIBERTY " 

earth, the rifting rocks, the rending veil, and the burst- 
ing graves, and — the bleeding, broken heart. 

Reader, "do not frustrate the grace of God, for if 
righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in 
vain." 

"Oh, why was He there as the bearer of sin, 

If on Jesus thy guilt was not laid? 
Oh, why from His side flowed His sin-cleansing blood, 
If His dying thy debt has not paid? 

"Then doubt not thy welcome since God has declared 

There remaineth no more to be done; 
That once in the end of the world He appeared, 
And completed the work He begun." 

Is it not plain that the sinner's effort to purchase sal- 
vation by good works can only discredit the atoning work 
of Christ by which alone he has been redeemed? Is it 
not clear that the sinner's self-righteous efforts to earn 
salvation by law-keeping, can only reveal how little he 
appreciates the cost of Salvation? 

But is there not something which the chief of sin- 
ners, saved by grace, can do to manifest that love that 
is born in his heart from beholding such manner of love ? 
Oh, yes. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." 
"We love Him because He first loved us." "And this is 
the love of God that we keep His commandments, and 
His commandments are not grievous." 

Here is the only place and purpose of commandment- 
keeping. All commandment-keeping that is wrought to 
earn salvation is but the filthy rags of man's self-right- 
eousness. Were we to keep the law perfectly from now 
to the end of our days, it would and could have nothing 
to do with earning salvation. That has already been 
earned for us, and the only thing that we can do is to 



"THE PRICE OF LIBERTY" 49 

accept it as a free gift of grace, and love and serve the 
Giver from the heart, in the Spirit, all our days. 

Reader, do you see it? I lived and preached many 
years before I saw it. 

Of that which we have written, this is the sum : Com- 
mandment-keeping* has nothing to do with earning sal- 
vation; and yet the whole plan of salvation has for its 
object the transforming of a loveless, law-breaking enemy 
of God into a loving, law-keeping friend of God. 

These two divine truths, hard to understand by the 
"unlearned and the unstable," form, nevertheless, the 
heart truth of the gospel. These two apparently con- 
tradictory statements are but the two halves of a har- 
monious whole. Th^y are the truths for which Paul 
suffered the loss of all things, and for which he was per- 
secuted by the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Judaizing 
Christian church at Jerusalem. 

If there is one truth above another that the prince of 
lies hates, it is the harmonious blending of these two 
divine truths into one divine whole. It matters little to 
him which one is preached if only that one be preached 
as opposed to the other. If grace be preached as making 
"void the law," or if law-keeping is presented so as to 
"frustrate the grace of God," the father of lies is sat- 
isfied. 

All down the ages, Satan has sought and fought to 
separate these two great and vital truths, and keep them 
separate. His success is seen all along the way, but at 
no time more than now, when many make commandment- 
keeping a saving work, and salvation by grace is made 
by many more a lawless license to make void one or all 
of God's ten commandments. 

But, bless the Lord, there is the prophetic promise 
that in the face of the wrath of the dragon, these two 



50 "THE PRICE OF LIBERTY" 

truths will be united in the lives and labors of a remnant 
and persecuted people, before the return of our Lord. 

''And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and 
went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which 
keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony 
of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12: 17. 

''Here is the patience of the saints ; here are they that 
keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." 
Rev. 14:12. 



IX 



"FREED FROM THE LAW 



The GrtDvernor-General of a great English colony — 
a man of great wealth and of benevolent disposition — in- 
terested himself in a young man whose birth and train- 
ing had marked him a criminal. This young man, though 
not yet twenty-five years old, had committed numerous 
crimes, and had spent the greater part of his life in re- 
formatories and prisons and had come to be regarded 
as a confirmed criminal. He had just been sentenced to 
pay the death penalty for his last and worst crime. 

His Excellency, the Governor, decides to pay the 
price of the man's life and adopt him as his son with 
the hope of seeing him become a law-abiding citizen. 
With this in mind he visits the Judge who pronounced 
the sentence, a man of irreproachable character. Between 
them there had been a lifelong friendship ; and, accord- 
ing to the parable, the following conversation passes be- 
tween them. 

Governor-General — I have called, My lord, in the in- 
terests of the young man, John Borninsin, whom you 
have just sentenced to death. I have decided to pay the 



'FREED FROM THE LAW 51 

price* of his life and undertake his reform by adoptini^ 
him into my family. I have known the young man from 
his childhood. He was born with a criminal nature ; his 
parents were criminals, and his whole training has been 
in the atmosphere of crime. It is my purpose to instruct 
him in a better life and lead him to forsake his lawless 
career. 

The Judge — I appreciate Your Excellency's praise- 
worthy compassion for this young reprobate; but I must 
express my settled conviction that you are wasting both 
your wealth and your sympathy. It will not be a fort- 
night before he will have committed another crime; he 
was born to forfeit his life on the gallows. 

Governor-General — But I have faith that he can be 
reformed. At least I am determined that he shall have 
a chance to know and choose the blessings of a law- 
abiding life. 

Judge — But, Your Excellency, his crimes will take him 
from you and place him under the stern hand of the law 
before you have an opportunity to exert your influence 
upon him. It will be useless to pay the price of his life 
now, for the simple reason that the crimes he will com- 
mit will bring him back under the law almost immediately. 
It will be necessary for you not only to redeem him from 
past lawlessness, but if you are to save the man, you will 
have to redeem him from the results of future trans- 
gressions also. 

Governor-General — I have foreseen all this and have 
planned for it. I clearly perceive that it would be use- 
less to redeem him from the law as regards the past un- 



*At this point the parable is not in harmony with facts, since the life of 
a criminal cannot now, as of old, be redeemed by money; but, for the para- 
ble's sake the reader is asked to overlook this discrepancy. The parable also 
falls far short, in representing the "new creation in Christ Jesus", but this 
does not affect the attitude taken by the young man, or his relation to the 
law, the Judge, and the Governor who stands as his substitute. 



52 'FREED FROM THE LAW 

less provision be made for the future. Consequently, I 
have decided to deposit with you to his credit my entire 
fortune — enough to redeem him from all the transgres- 
sions of the law which he shall ever commit in his ignor- 
ance and weakness. In this way I shall be able to keep 
him out from under the law, and place him under grace, 
until he has had the privileges that grace will bring to 
him. With this deposit to his credit, it will be impossible 
for him to come under the law, even when he commits a 
crime. He will not be under law but under grace. His 
transgressions of the law will be imputed to me, and my 
grace imputed to him. It will, therefore, be impossible 
to get him under the law or in prison, so long as my 
deposit of grace, which is placed to his credit, is more 
abundant than his transgressions. And I purpose to see 
to it that it shall be said in this case, ''Where sin abound- 
ed, grace did much more abound." You see, I am 
voluntarily putting myself under the law in order to de- 
liver him from under the law. 

Judge — If I did not know of your exceptional rev- 
erence for the majesty of the law, I would interpret this 
act as being in hostility to the law, or at least as throwing 
discredit on the law ; but, inasmuch as the present code 
of laws was drafted by yourself and presented to Par- 
liament when you were a member of that body, and en- 
acted into law by your earnest voice and vote, I cannot 
conceive of your extraordinary efforts on behalf of this 
unfortunate young man as being other than in perfect 
sympathy with the law. 

Governor-General — My efforts on behalf of this 
young man are not intended to make void the law, but 
to establish the law. If my efforts were to make void 
the law, I certainly would not place my fortune at your 
disposal for the purpose of satisfying the just claims of 
the law. If I wanted to make void the law, I would work 










-is 



<3 



^ 
►o 






54 'FREED FROM THE LAW" 

for its repeal; or easier still, I would use my pardoning 
power as chief executive, and pardon him whenever he is 
convicted of crime, and thus save my fortune. The very 
fact that I place my fortune at your disposal, establishes 
and vindicates the law as being both just and good. And 
besides, all my efforts for the young man are for the 
one purpose of making him a lazv-abiding citizen. My 
efforts are to make of him a man in whom the righteous- 
ness of the law shall be fulfilled. But, in order to ac- 
complish this, he must be delivered from the law, and 
kept free; otherwise, as you say, he will come under the 
penalty of the law, which is death ; and thereby be placed 
beyond the reach of grace. 

Judge — Yes ; I see your position, and agree with you, 
both in purpose and plan ; but there is one difficulty which 
must be made clear to me before I can consent to be a 
party to this gracious work of yours. Suppose the 
young man, when he learns of the placing of your 
abounding deposit of grace, instead of thankfully ac- 
knowledging your great kindness toward him, and mak- 
ing use of his freedom from the law to be instructed by 
you to become a law-abiding citizen, on the contrary 
takes advantage of the fact that it is impossible to bring 
him under the law, and continues to transgress, simply 
because he is not under law but under grace, what is 
to be done in that case? I cannot consent to be a party 
to this transaction if I shall become, by so doing, a party 
to ministering liberty to this man if he uses that liberty 
as a cloak of maliciousness. I cannot minister this de- 
posit when I know that the man having been once en- 
lightened, and having tasted your heavenly gift of free- 
dom from the law, and the power to obey the -law, wil- 
fully and deliberately chooses his old life of a criminal, 
preferring the life of a transgressor to that of a law- 
abiding citizen. I cannot become a party to his continued 



'FREED FROM THE LAW" 55 

crimes, by continuing to minister liberty to him, which 
he deliberately uses to continue his crimes. 

Gozernor-Gcncral — I most certainly do not ask you 
to do this. As I said before, my efforts on his behalf are 
not directed to save him from the law in order that he 
may transgress it, but to save him from the law that he 
may be taught to observe it faithfully. If he transgresses 
the law zinl fully after he has come to the knowledge of 
the truth, as you have just stated, there will remain no 
part of my sacrificing deposit for him. I make no de- 
posit to save him from wilful, deliberate transgression ; 
my deposit is to cover the transgressions which he has 
committed and those violations of the law which he will 
still commit in his inherited and cultivated weakness of 
nature, and in his ignorance of the law and lack of power 
to obey it, until by my teaching he has come to a knowl- 
edge of the blessings and privileges of a law-abiding citi- 
zen. But if he transgresses wilfully after all this, if he 
tramples upon my sacrifice for him ; if he comes to count 
the giving of my fortune as something given that he may 
continue in law-breaking ; if he thus deliberately does de- 
spite to the spirit of grace shown him, then there remains 
no deposit of grace for him. Then he must fall into the 
hands of the civil authority, and will be deserving of 
sorer punishment than if he had never known of my 
abounding grace. 



56 "UNDER GRACE" 



X 



"UNDER GRACE" 

By the illustration of the previous chapter, it is plain 
that so far as the young transgressor is concerned, the 
Judge's seat has become a throne of grace, and the Judge 
a minister of grace. To him the Judge is no longer a 
minister of law, but a minister of mercy and grace. The 
Judge is still a minister of law, but not to the young man. 
He ministers the law to the substitute and grace to the 
transgressor. 

If in the illustration the deposit of grace had been 
made on behalf of all the people within the jurisdiction 
of the Judge, it would have transformed the Judge from 
a minister of law to the people, to a minister of grace to 
all the people. None of the people within his jurisdic- 
tion could be said to be under law, but on the other hand, 
all would be under grace, and the Judge's seat would be- 
come a throne of grace. 

And this illustrates the blessed position in which the 
"whole world" is placed by "the glorious gospel of 
Christ." "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto 
Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; . . . 
For He hath made Him to he sin for us, who knew no 
sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in 
Him." 2 Cor. 5:19, 21. 

Since God has not imputed to this world its trans- 
gressions of His law, but in His abounding grace has 
imputed its transgressions to His Son, it follows that 
in this gracious transaction He has delivered the world 
from under the law and placed it under grace. "The 
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to 



"UNDER GRACE" ' 57 

all men:" Titus 2:11. "We see Jesus, who was made a 
little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, 
. . . that He by the grace of God should taste death 
for every man." Heb. 2 : 9. 

In Romans 5 the Apostle Paul reaches the same con- 
clusion. He first shows that through Adam's transgres- 
sion sin abounded to every member of the human race. 
Every one born after Adam's transgression was born a 
transgressor. Adam, by making himself a sinner, made 
the whole world sinners. A stream cannot rise higher 
than its source. Coming into possession of a sinful na- 
ture, his children were born with sinful natures, and 
could no more save themselves from sinning than the 
Ethiopian could save himself from the color of his skin. 
**By one man sin entered into the world." Verse 12. 
''Therefore as by the oft'ense of one judgment came upon 
all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness 
of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification 
of life." Verse 18. "For as by one man's disobedience 
the many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one 
shall the many (R. V.) be made righteous." Verse 19. 

The children of Adam did not make themselves sin- 
ners. I did not make myself a sinner. Adam made me 
a sinner, and I have sinned because I was horn a sinner. 
My sins did not make me a sinner. Crab-apples on a 
crab-apple tree do not make the tree a crab-apple tree. 
It was a crab-apple tree years before it bore crab-apples. 
It bore crab-apples because it was a crab-apple tree. So 
your sins did not make you a sinner, but you sinned be- 
cause you were born a sinner. 

God knows that we cannot keep ourselves from sin- 
ning, burdened as we are with sinful natures. He does 
not ask us to accomplish the impossible, and He will not 
punish us because we did not do what He knows and 
says is impossible for us to do. And in making known 



58 "UNDER GRACE" 

His law, it was not His purpose to add to our misery by 
making known to us the abounding sinfulness which was 
given to us, without our asking, by the sinning head of 
the human race, but that we might come to realize what 
abounding sinners we are, in order that we might receive 
and appreciate abounding salvation. "The law entered 
that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded 
[to all the world] grace did much more abound [to all 
the world] ; that as sin hath reigned unto death [over 
all the world], even so might grace reign [over all the 
world], through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus 
Christ our Lord." Rom. 5:20, 21. 

Since "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath 
appeared to all men" ; since God has made a deposit of 
grace more abounding than the deposit of sin which 
Adam gave the whole race, it follows that the throne ot 
God is a throne of grace. All under that throne are 
under grace. God has not failed to minister law, but He 
has ministered the law to His Lamb, the Lamb of God 
that taketh away the sin of the world, and His grace to 
the whole sinning world. Consequently, the whole world 
is under grace. "Ye are not under the law, but under 
grace." 

But is the sinner under grace ? Is not the transgressor 
of the law under law? Is the transgressor of the law 
under grace? Reader, can you not see that it is the 
transgressor of the law above all others who is in need 
of grace? In fact, Christ did not come to bring grace to 
any but sinners. Only sinners were in need of grace. "I 
am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repent- 
ance." Sinners alone will realize their need of grace. 
"Moreover, the law entered that the offense might 
abound; but where sin abounded, grace did much more 
abound. That as sin hath reigned unto death [over all 
the world], even so might grace reign [over all the 



"UNDER GRACE" 59 

world] through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus 
Christ our Lord." 

It is only through Christ that the transgressor is un- 
der grace. If he be viewed through the law, apart from 
the cross of Calvary, he is most positively under law. It 
is only when the sinner is seen through the sacrifice of 
Calvary, that he is seen to be under grace. But which 
view of man is the correct one? Shall he be viewed 
through the law, or through the cross ? It is evident that 
God views him through the cross, and consequently views 
him under grace. And would not God have His ambas- 
sadors view men as He views them? 

And now that it is plain that John, in the illustration, 
is under grace, and therefore not under law, is there any 
one in the illustration who is under law? Certainly. 
The governor is under law. 

The law, instead of being dishonored by John's re- 
lease from its condemnation, has been honored in that it 
has collected its demands to the last farthing from the 
most exalted personage in the state. 

And now, since the governor takes John's place un- 
der the law, the governor is under law and not under 
grace. One cannot be both under law and under grace 
at the same time. For the Word says, *'Ye are not under 
the law but under grace.'' 

One who is under grace cannot at the same time be 
under law, and one under law cannot at the same time be 
under grace. The sinner and his substitute cannot both 
escape the law's condemnation, neither can both be held 
by the law for the same offense. 

And now, inasmuch as Christ took the place under 
the law as the substitute for all the children of Adam 
whom Adam placed under the law by his sinning, it fol- 
lows that all men were thereby placed under grace. 
Christ was not placed under the condemnation of the 



60 "UNDER GRACE • 

law for His own transgressions, but for the world's 
transgressions. Therefore, when the law collected its 
demands from Christ, in that very act it released man. 
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, be- 
ing made a curse for us." When did Christ redeem us 
from the curse of the law ? "For it is written, Cursed is 
every one that hangeth on a tree." 

The law had no power over Christ unless Christ as- 
sumed man's guilt, and unless the law admits that this 
guilt is man's guilt. Therefore, when the law collected 
sin's penalty from Christ, it collected man's penalty, 
thereby recognizing that man's penalty was paid, and 
man released from the law, and therefore under grace. 

Why, then, is any man lost? Because it is possible 
for man, by rejecting grace, to commit sins for which 
Christ did not substitute, whose penalty Christ did not 
pay in His death, and which can only be paid in the 
death of the sinner himself. 



XI 

"IS CHRIST UNDER LAW TODAY?" 

In this connection it is important to consider the 
question. Is Christ under the law today? The only rea- 
son why He ever was under the law was because "He 
bore our sins" and ''not ours only, but the sins of the 
whole world." 

And the only reason that He ever bore our sins was 
to meet their penalty in His death. The law could only 
follow Him to death. "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 
6 : 23. "He that is dead is freed from sin. . . . Know- 
ing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more ; 
death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He 



"IS CHRIST UNDER LAW I'ODAYr'' 61 

died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He 
liveth unto God." Rom. 6:7-10. 

Christ is therefore no longer under law, because He 
no longer bears sin, for He bore sin as far as it can be 
borne, that is — unto death. Christ is therefore not a sin- 
bearer today, and has not been since He bore our sins in 
His own body on the tree. All the sins which He ever 
will bear, He has borne, and borne them into oblivion in 
His death. "For by one offering He hath perfected for- 
ever them that are sanctified." 

The sins which men commit today, and for which they 
receive pardon when they confess them, were all atoned 
for in the death of Christ. And the only reason they re- 
ceive pardon when they repent, is because Christ died 
under those sins once for all. If men commit sins which 
Christ did not bear when He bore our sins on Calvary, 
there can be no pardon for those sins. "For without the 
shedding of blood there is no remission." "The wages 
of sin is death," and Christ will not die again. 

The Apostle Paul lays the foundation for universal 
atonement through Christ, in the fact of universal alien- 
ation through Adam. This is the Divine argument of 
the fifth chapter of Romans. 

"By one man sin entered into the world, and death by 
sin." Verse 12. 

"By the trespass of the one the many be dead." 
Verse 15, R. V. 

"By one man's offense death reigned by one." 
Verse 17. 

"By the offense of one, judgment came upon all men 
to condemnation." Verse 18. 

"By one man's disobedience the many were made 
sinners." Verse 19. 

Thus repeatedly is it stated that one man made all men 
sinners and brought death upon all. Therefore, no child 



62 "IS CHRIST UNDER LAW TODAY?" 

of Adam is responsible for being made a sinner, nor for 
his death. "In Adam all die." This fact lays the foun- 
dation for universal atonement. 

Reader, if a man and his son were standing on a pier, 
and the father should push the son, who cannot swim, 
off into the sea, would it be an injustice if a life-saver 
should go down into the sea and rescue the boy and 
place him back on the pier? Has the father the right to 
choose death by drowning for his son? Ought not the 
son to at least have a chance to choose for himself ? But 
the only way by which he can have a chance to choose is 
for him to be rescued by the life-saver, and placed back 
where he was before his father pushed him off. 

Adam pushed the whole world off the pier of life and 
innocency, into the sea of sin and death. No child of 
Adam had opportunity to choose for himself whether he 
wanted to be a sinner and die a sinner's death, before this 
doom was placed upon him by the choice of Adam. 

Note this fact carefully. Adam, by his choice, plunges 
all men into sin and death. It is too late for Adam's 
children to choose life after Adam has slain them. A 
dead man cannot choose life unless he be first delivered 
from death, and the only way by which a child of Adam 
could have a chance to choose life, was first to redeem 
him from the death into which Adam plunged him. 

This is the reason why the God of all grace could, 
and did, plan to save man before the foundation of the 
world. This is the reason why He did not need to con- 
sult the world before He gave His Son to bear the sins 
of the world. 

Adam did not consult us before he ruined us, and so 
God need not consult us before He redeemed us. 

"Who [God] hath saved us, and called us with an 
holy calling, not according to our works, but according 
to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in 



"IS CHRIST UNDER LAW TOD AY f" 63 

Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. 1 : 9. 

And this is the reason the promise which God made 
to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the 
earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18), was an unconditional 
promise. In Adam they were all cursed without condi- 
tions. In Jesus Christ they were all blessed without con- 
ditions. 

The Jew in his blind self-righteousness could not un- 
derstand this, and so tried to make law-keeping a condi- 
tion of God's bestowing this blessing. It was against this 
perversion of the gospel that Paul hurls the lightning 
bolts of gospel logic in the third chapter of Galatians. 

But do the Scriptures teach that the great Life-saver 
did go down into the sea of sin and death and rescue all 
men, and place them back on the pier of life and inno- 
cency before the law? Yes, this is the conclusion of 
Paul's argument in the fifth of Romans. 

"Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came 
upon all men to condemnation ; even so by the righteous- 
ness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justi- 
fication of life. For as by one man's disobedience the 
many (R. V.) were made sinners, so by the obedience of 
one shall the many (R. V.) be made righteous. More- 
over the law entered, that the offense might abound. But 
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." 
Rom. 5 : 18-20. 

But if all men have been placed back on the pier of 
"justification of life," does that not mean "Universal- 
ism" ? — This is a thousand miles from "Universalism" ! 

The pier on which Adam stood, and the world in 
Adam, before he threw himself and the world into the 
sea of sin and death, was simply the platform of life and 
innocency before the law. Eternal life was on a higher 
platform, a gift of grace to be had by choosing. 

When the blessed Life-saver placed all men back on 



64 "IS CHRIST UNDER LAW TODAY f" 

the pier of life and innocency before the law, He placed 
them back where Adam stood and where they stood in 
Adam before Adam pushed them off into sin and death 
All men now have a chance to choose whether they will 
go higher into eternal life, or lower into the second death. 

Thus far has the God of all grace gone in the plan 
of redemption without the will or co-operation of man. 
All men were ruined without their will or co-operation, 
and therefore all men could be redeemed without their 
will or co-operation. What ! save a man without his will "^ 

Yes, ''He is the Saviour of all men, especially of 
those that believe." 1 Tim. 4: 10. ''Who gave Himself 
a ransom for all." 1 Tim. 2 : 6. The first scripture tells 
us that He is the Saviour of men who do not believe, 
but He is especially the Saviour of those who do believe. 

There are two phases of salvation clearly brought to 
view in the Scriptures. First, that salvation which God 
wrought for man on the cross before he believed, and 
second, that which He works in man when he believes. 
The first salvation will profit us nothing without the sec- 
ond. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; 
but he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark 16: 16. 

These two phases of salvation are again brought to 
view in Romans 5. "But God commendeth His love 
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ 
died for us." Verse 8. We were sinners before He died 
for us, were sinners while He was dying for us, and we 
v/ere sinners, in ourselves considered after He died for 
us. Again : 

"While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God 
through the death of His Son." Verse 10, R. V. 

We were enemies before we were reconciled to God 
by the death of His Son, and while he was reconciling us 
by the death of His Son, and we were enemies, in our- 
selves considered, after we were reconciled to God by 



"IS CHRIST UNDER LAW TODAYS' 65 

the death of His Son. Nevertheless, we werfe reconciled 
to God by the death of His Son. While we were still 
enemies to God from our standpoint, we were at the same 
time reconciled to God by the death of His Son, from 
God's standpoint. 

Notice how we were reconciled. It was not through 
our good works, — not through our faith that we were 
reconciled to God ; for this reconciliation was accom- 
plished without our faith ; yes, even while we were ene^ 
mies. This reconciliation was accomplished, not by our 
faith, but ''by the death of His Son." 

And this reconciliation that has reconciled man before 
he believes, is what he believes before he is reconciled. 
These two phases of reconciliation are clearly presented 
in 2 Cor. 5. 

"God was in Christ reconciling the world unto him- 
self." Verse 19. 

This scripture does not say God is in Christ recon- 
ciling the world unto Himself, although that is just what 
He is doing. But that is not the phase of reconciliation 
taught in this scripture. This is shown by the means 
by w^hich this reconciliation is accomplished. 

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him- 
self, [how ?] not imputing their trespasses unto them. 
. . . For He hath made [not is making] Him to be 
sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the 
righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:19-21. 

This reconciliation which was made by charging the 
world's sins to Christ, and not charging them to the 
world, is a reconciliation that has already been accom- 
plished for all the world, and is the same reconciliation 
referred to in Rom. 5:10, where it is said, "We were 
reconciled to God by the death of His Son." 

But there is another reconciliation spoken of in that 



66 "IS CHRIST UNDER LAW TODAY?" 

same text (2 Cor. 5:18-21), a reconciliation that depends 
on the sinner's willingness to "be reconciled." 

**God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Him- 
self, not imputing their trespasses unto them. . . . 
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though 
God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's 
stead, be ye reconciled to God." Verse 20. 

Here are the two reconciliations. One accomplished 
for man without his faith or knowledge, the other ac- 
complished in man when he shall hear and believe the 
reconciliation by which he was reconciled before he be- 
lieved, and while he was yet an enemy. 

And it is this blessed Gospel, — that God has recon- 
ciled the world unto Himself by the death of His Son, — 
that the true ambassador preaches to the world before he 
beseeches the world, *'be ye reconciled to God." 

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God 
loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our 
sins." 1 Jno. 4: 10. "We love Him because He first 
loved us." Verse 19. "The goodness of God leadeth thee 
to repentance." Rom. 2 : 4. 

This is the divine order of true gospel preaching. 
"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel [the 
good news] to every creature." The good news of what? 
— the good news, that while we were enemies we were 
reconciled to God by the death of His Son. The good 
news, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto 
Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. The 
good news, that He hath made Christ to be sin for us 
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 
The good news, that He is the Saviour of all men, espe- 
cially of them that believe. 

And not only is this the divine order of true Christian 
preaching, it is the divine order of true Christian living. 
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His com- 



"IS CHRIST UNDER LAW TODAY?" 67 

niandments ; and His commandments are not grevious." 
1 Jno. 5 : 3. 

Any commandment-keeping that does not spring from 
love to God because He first loved us and sent His Son 
to be the propitiation for our sins, — while we were ene- 
mies, even when we were dead in sins, — and reconciled 
us to God by the death of His Son, is not commandment- 
keeping in the sight of God, but the filthy rags of our 
own self-righteousness. Commandment-keeping has noth- 
ing to do with earning salvation, and yet the whole object 
of the plan of salvation is the transforming of the lawless, 
loveless enemy of God into a loyal, loving, obedient friend 
of God. But while law-keeping has nothing to do in 
purchasing salvation, it does have something to do in 
pointing out the one who has accepted this salvation. 
"Hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His 
commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keep- 
eth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is 
not in him." 1 Jno. 2 : 3, 4. 



XII 
"I NEVER WAS A SLAVE" 

But has not the Apostle Paul clearly ''proved both 
Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin?" Rom. 
3 : 9. Yes ; but this he did as a preparation for proving 
all to be under grace. For the proclamation of grace was 
only for those whose sinning has brought them under 
sin. If there was one man who could prove that he was 
never under sin, that man would thereby prove that he 
had no part in the pardoning grace. 

Note the following illustration. We will suppose that 
I am sent as a herald to announce to the colored people 
of the South, the gospel or good news that they are all 



68 "/ NEVER WAS A SLAVE" 

freed men. I go to the market place and begin to read 
the Emancipation Proclamation, and soon have gathered 
about me a great multitude of colored people whose 
earnest faces show an intense interest, but who hesitate 
to believe the proclamation because it seems too good to 
believe. I am called upon to read it again, and I read 
the following: 

"Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of 
the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested 
as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the 
United States in time of actual armed rebellion against 
the authority and government of the United States, . . . 
on this first day of January in the year of our Lord one 
thousand eight hundred and sixty three, ... do ordain 
and declare that all persons held as slaves within said 
designated states, and parts of states, are, and henceforth 
shall he free; and that the executive government of the 
United States, including the military and naval authori- 
ties thereof will recognize and maintain the freedom of 
said persons." 

When I reach this point, the multitude, believing the 
truth of the proclamation, break forth in the most en- 
thusiastic manifestations of rejoicing. The shout is heard 
on every side, "I am free, I am not a slave ! Praise the 
Lord, Brother Jones, I am free, and you are free, and 
Mary Ann is free, the children are free, and we are all 
free, — free forever. Praise the Lord!" 

But there is one colored man who addresses me in a 
haughty, self-satisfied manner, thus : "Stranger, your 
mission does not interest me. It is doubtless all very 
well for those who need it. But it does not concern me, 
for the simple reason that I am not a slave and never 
was a slave." 

"But are you not a colored man ?" 

"Certainly." 



•'/ NEVER WAS A SLAVE" 69 

"And are you not a native of this state?" 

"Yes." 

"And have you been set free by your master?" 

"No. Did I not tell you that I never was a slave." 

"But if you are a colored man, a native of this state, 
and have never been set free, you are certainly in need 
of this proclamation, for according to the laws of this 
state, which have been sustained by a decision of the 
Supreme Court of the United States, you have no rights 
which a white man is bound to respect." 

"But I insist that I am not a slave and consequently 
am not included in the Emancipation Proclamation, and 
hence am not personally interested in it." 

I cannot interest this man in the proclamation of lib- 
erty until I first convince him that he is in need of the 
proclamation. To do this I must lay aside for the pres- 
ent the proclamation, and undertake to convince him that 
he is a slave. I am for the time being viewing him as 
he insists on viewing himself, that is, — outside the proc- 
lamation. 

The truth is, that he is included in the proclamation 
even though he denies it. But in order that this truth 
may become a blessing to him, he must first realize his 
slavery. Now, while I do not lose sight for a moment of 
the fact that, viewed through the proclamation he is a 
freed man, I begin to deal with him from his own point 
of view, and call his attention to the law which most pos- 
itively pronounces him a slave, with no more right than 
the common beast of burden, and also to the fact that 
should he attempt to escape and succeed in crossing the 
boundary line into a free state, the "Fugitive Slave Law" 
would follow him and return him to his master to suffer 
added punishment for his attempt to escape. At last I 
am able to convince him of his condition under the law, 
and then with a groan of despair he cries out, "O 



70 "/ NEVER WAS A SLAVE" 

wretched slave that I am, who shall deliver me from this 
bondage of death ?" 

Then seizing my proclamation, I declare to the man 
with all the earnestness of my soul, ''You are delivered. 
You are a freed man. You are not a slave. This procla- 
mation declares that you are a free man and all the power 
of the republic is pledged to protect you in the enjoyment 
of that freedom." 

Now, the man is interested in the proclamation. It 
now concerns him. He is glad now to know that he is 
included in the proclamation. He believes the proclama- 
tion and rejoices in his freedom. 

This illustration explains all the seeming contradic- 
tions in Paul's epistles concerning the question of ''un- 
der law" and "not under the law." In the first part of 
his epistle to the Romans, he proves "all under sin," — 
''all under law,"— "a// the world" "guilty before God." 
But in doing this he is describing the whole world's con- 
dition outside the proclamation; their condition, were 
there no proclamation of pardon, and this he does in order 
to prepare all to appreciate and receive by faith the par- 
don which is already theirs in the gospel proclamation 
which he bears. "The Scripture hath concluded all under 
sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might 
be given to them that believe." Gal. 3 : 22. "God hath 
concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy 
upon all." Rom. 11:32, 33. 

If the colored man in the illustration had realized that 
under the law, without the emancipation proclamation, he 
was a hopeless slave, it would not have been necessary to 
prove to him that he was under the law. The only rea- 
son for proving him under the law was to show him his 
true condition were there no proclamation. He was not 
proved a slave in order to contradict the plain statement 
in the proclamation that he is a freedman, but to show 



"/ NEVER WAS A SLAVE" 71 

him his condition of hopeless slavery were there no 
emancipation proclamation. 

And in like manner, if all those for whom Paul's 
epistles were written had realized that under the law, 
without the gospel proclamation of pardon, — which is 
"to all and upon all them that believe," — they were hope- 
lessly condemned to death, it would not have been neces- 
sary to prove them "all under sin." And the only rea- 
son for proving them under the law, was to show them 
their true condition were there no gospel proclamation. 

Paul does not conclude all under sin in order to con- 
tradict his proclamation which declares all under pardon- 
ing grace, but to show them their hopeless condition were 
there no gracious proclamation proclaiming them par- 
doned. 

Not only does Paul not use the law to deny the free- 
dom found in his proclamation, but, on the other hand, 
he uses the law to mark men as free. Note this illustra- 
tion: 

It is December 31, 1862, the day before the President 
of the United States issued the famous Emancipation 
Proclamation. Knowing that the proclamation is to be 
issued on the following day, let us go into a southern 
city to see some of the many slaves who will be pro- 
claimed free on the morrow. As we stroll down the 
street, you say to me, "There is a slave, there is another, 
and there is a third. These will be free tomorrow." 

"How do you know these particular persons will be 
included in the proclamation?" 

"Because they are slaves." 

"But how do you know they are slaves?" 

"Because of the color of their skin." 

"Then are all the people who are colored, slaves?" 

"Yes, all the people who are colored are slaves, and 
all the slaves are to be proclaimed free tomorrow." 



72 "/ NEVER WAS A SLAVE" 

On the day after the proclamation was issued, Jan- 
uary 2, 1863, we are again in the same city, walking down 
the same street, looking at the same people. But now 
you say to me, "There is a freed man, — there is another, 
and there is a third." 

**But how do you know they are freed men?" 

"Because they were slaves." 

"But how do you know they were slaves?" 

"Because of the color of their skin." 

"Then the color of their skin is now a sign that they 
have been proclaimed free?" 

"Certainly. That which was a sign of their slavery on 
Wednesday, is on Friday a sign of their freedom. And 
those who were not included as slaves on Wednesday, are 
now excluded from the proclamation of freedom on 
Friday." 

And thus it is with the proclamation of the gospel. 
Only sinners are pardoned by the proclamation. And 
more : that thing which was a sign of the slavery of the 
sinner apart from salvation, now marks him as a partaker 
in the pardon of the proclamation made by the Prince of 
Peace. 

It was this truth which led Paul to exclaim, "Hence- 
forth know we no man after the Heshf To know a col- 
ored man after the color of his flesh on Wednesday was 
to know him as a slave, but on Friday, this same color 
viewed not after the Hesh, but after the proclamation, 
marks him a freed man. To know a man after the flesh 
apart from the cross, was to know him as a helpless, hope- 
less slave of sin. But since One died for all and hence 
all died, and since all are now free, — "for he that is 
dead is freed from sin," — we now know no man after 
the flesh. On the contrary, while the flesh was a sign 
of slavery, now this same sinful flesh marks the man 
as one who has been included in the proclamation of 



*•/ NEVER WAS A SLAVE" 73 

pardon. It is the sinner who has been proclaimed free. 
Let the sinners come. Whosoever will, let him come. 
Sinner, that sinful flesh which Satan declared separated 
you from the plan of salvation, is now the very evi- 
dence that you are included in the proclamation of par- 
don. 

Praise the Lord for His gracious proclamation ! 
Reader, "you are not under law, but under grace." "The 
law entered that sin might abound, but where sin 
abounded grace did much more abound." The law was 
not given by God nor used by the Apostle Paul to con- 
tradict the universal proclamation of the cross, but to 
reveal the sinning of the sinner and drive him to the 
cross. 



XIII 
"SHALL WE SIN TO SHOW WE ARE FREE?" 

But since sin is the sign that the sinner is included 
in the gracious proclamation of pardon, does it not fol- 
low that we should continue in sin, continue to transgress 
the law to show that we are not under the law, but under 
grace ? 

Before answering this question, I want to take this 
opportunity to deal in a general way with the conclusion 
which has always been drawn .by certain inexperienced 
persons, from the teachings of those who preach a full 
gospel, — that is, that they make void the law. 

Now it is impossible to preach the Gospel so plainly 
as to escape this wrong conclusion. Paul understood 
this. Yet he did not shun to declare the whole truth 
even though he knew that by declaring it, there would 
be those who would wrest his writings to their own de- 
struction as they had the other Scriptures. 



74 " SHALL WE SIN TO SHOW WE ARE FREE?" 

If it were possible to preach the Gospel so as to avoid 
this conclusion on the part of some, Paul certainly would 
have so preached it. For no apostle preached the gospel 
more fully or more plainly than did he. The fact is, the 
path of the faithful preacher of a full Gospel runs dan- 
gerously close to the soul-destroying precipice, marked 
"Law made void by grace," "the law abolished by Christ," 
"law-keeping is bondage," "law-breaking is liberty." 

But shall we hesitate to follow the path because of its 
proximity to the precipice ? To fail to follow the path is 
tc perish without the gospel. Paul pushed on in the 
path, warning the people of the presence of the precipice 
as he passed. At one time the path seems to lead to the 
precipice, "Do evil that good may come" ; but with a 
warning not to take that path, and with the declaration 
that those who reported that he was following that path 
were slandering him (Rom. 3:8), he presses on only 
again to come near the yawning gulf, "The law made 
void" ; but he hurries on with the warning statement that 
he is not on the path which leads to the law made void by 
faith, but on that path which leads to the establishing of 
the law. A little later his divine logic leads him so close 
to the danger point again that he calls out, "Shall we 
continue in sin [in transgression of the law] that grace 
may abound?" to which he quickly answers, "God for- 
bid." Rom. 6:1, 15, 16. 

Again, he is brought so close to the precipice where 
it is entered by the path, "The law is sin," that he is led 
to cry out, "Is the law sin? — God forbid. Nay, I had 
not known sin except the law had said, thou shalt not 
covet. . . . the law is holy, just, and good. . . . For 
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold 
under sin." Rom. 7 : 7-14. 

But why not take a path far removed from these dan- 
ger points ? Because there is no other path for him who 



"SHALL WE SIN TO SHOW WE ARE FRELf" 75 

would preach the whole gospel. And the preacher whose 
preaching is of such a character as not to call forth these 
warnings against the delusion of an abolished decalogue, 
w not preaching the gospel zvhich Paul preached. 

Is Paul to blame? Or, to put it more plainly: is the 
Holy Spirit, by whose wisdom the apostle spake and 
wrote, to blame because all the no-law teachers, from 
that day to this, base their authority for an abolished 
law upon the writings of the Apostle Paul? If Paul is 
not to blame for the false deductions which some have 
made from his Spirit-inspired epistles, is the teacher who 
follows the same path today responsible for a similar 
result ? 

With this word of explanation, the writer will pro- 
ceed to unfold the gospel, regarding it as an evidence 
that he is following the same path which Paul followed 
when the presentation of the same precious truth makes 
ir necessary to warn the hearer against the same old 
error. 

Since the sinning of the sinner is an evidence that 
he is included in the universal proclamation of pardon, 
does it not follow that he should continue to sin, continue 
to transgress the law, in order to show that he is de- 
livered from the law and is now under grace? 

Ought the colored man to continue to serve his mas- 
ter as a slave in order to prove that he is one of those 
included in the proclamation which emancipated the 
slaves? By no means. While the continued servitude of 
the colored man would show that he is one of those who 
had been proclaimed free, it would also show that as yet 
he had realized no benefits from the proclamation. The 
proclamation was not made merely to change the names 
of men from that of ''slaves" to that of *'freedmen," and 
then leave them in servitude to their old master. 

In like manner, while the sinning of the sinner shows 



76 "SHALL WE SIN TO SHOW WE ARE FREE?" 

that he is one of those for whom Qirist died, and one 
for whom the abounding grace has been proclaimed, yet 
his sinning shows that as yet he has not received the 
benefits of abounding grace. For the grace of God was 
not given merely to change the names of men from 
"slaves of sin" to "sons of God," and then leave them to 
continue slaves of sin. 

In the fifth of Romans, Paul preaches the gospel so 
broadly as to prove all the world under grace, and that 
their abounding sin has been met by a far more abound- 
ing grace. But having reached this climax in his glor- 
ious gospel, he stops, and devotes the sixth chapter to 
meeting the antinomian heresy that abounding grace 
gives license to continue to transgress the law. 

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any 
longer therein?" He then appeals to their baptism to 
meet this heresy. Don't you know, he continues, that 
those of you who were baptized, thereby showed that you 
were sharers in the death of Christ who died for sin- 
ners? And when you arose from your baptism, do you 
not know that you showed thereby that you shared in 
the new life, now free from sin, with which Christ arose 
from the dead? Does a dead man continue to live and 
act as he did before he died? It was the old man, the 
carnal nature, that was not subject to the law, neither 
indeed could be, that had to be killed because he was an 
incurable law-breaker; and it was the death and burial 
of this old man, and the birth of the new man that was 
celebrated by baptism. Shall we then continue the old 
man's law-breaking in order to emphasize our freedom 
in the gospel? In other words, "Shall we continue in 
sin that grace may abound?" 

While it is true that the man who sins is still under 
grace, and because he is under grace, his sinning does 



"SHALL WE SIN TO SHOW WE ARE FREE?" 77 

not bring him under law (if it did, he would perish the 
moment he sinned, because the wages of sin is death), 
it is also true that he has not yet realized the grace which 
he is under. The grace of God not only saves us from 
the penalty of our past transgressions of the law, but 
through grace a new life is given to save us from con- 
tinued law-breaking. The abounding grace of God in the 
death of Christ who tasted death for every man, was a 
decree of absolute divorce from the old carnal nature, 
and from all his transgressions which he had trans- 
gressed in us, but we were not ''made dead to the law 
through the body of Christ," — nor divorced from the 
carnal man, — in order that we might live a single life, 
but that we might "be joined to another, even to Him 
who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth 
fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the 
sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in 
our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now 
we have been discharged from the law, having died to 
that wherein we were holden, so that we serve in new- 
ness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter." Rom. 
7:4-6. (R. V.) 

*'Sin [law-breaking] shall not have dominion over 
you ; for ye are not under law but under grace. What 
then? shall we sin [transgress the law] because we are 
not under law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye 
not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto 
obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey, whether 
of sin [law-breaking] unto death or obedience [law- 
keeping] unto righteousness." Rom. 6:M-16. (R. V.) 



78 A FREEMAN'S FROCK 



XIV 



A FREEMAN'S FROCK ON A BONDMAN'S BACK 
(Illustrated) 

Hear this parable : It is twilight, and the governor oi 
a great American state, with his only son, his private 
secretary, is about to leave his office, when there is a 
gentle knock at the door, which when opened reveals the 
frail form of a widowed mother whose sorrowing face 
pleads piteously through a tear-stained veil. 

Touched by the evidence before him of the woes of 
widowhood, the kind-hearted governor, with that frank- 
ness and freedom characteristic of western life, extends 
his hand, and with reassuring tenderness in his tones, 
says : "Come in, mother, take this easy chair. And now 
what can I have the pleasure of doing for you?" 

Encouraged by this kindness, she pours forth in sub- 
dued sobs the petition of her agonized heart : 

"O give me the life of my son, my only son ; my poor 
sinning son. O give me the life of my boy ! He is the 
only child of his widowed mother. O save his life from 
the hangman's hand, lest I go desolate, crushed, child- 
less into the grave !" 

The governor, with mingled pity and perplexity pic- 
tured on his face, — for he now realizes that he is in the 
presence of the mother of a murderer who is to be 
hanged on the morrow, — after a painful pause, speaks, 
but with pleading tenderness: 

"But, mother, did not your son have a fair, impartial 
trial? Was he not justly convicted, and — now be honest 
— do you not yourself believe that he committed the crime 
for which he has been sentenced to die?" 













bo 
O 



80 A FREEMAN'S FROCK 

**0 governor, I am not asking for justice, I am plead- 
ing for mercy. O give me the life of my wayward, sin- 
ning boy !" 

"But, mother, is not the law which punishes murder a 
good law? and must it not be enforced for the safety of 
the people, and for the preservation of the government? 
Do you want the law abolished, or what would be the 
same thing, to remain unenforced in order to save your 
son? Do you not see that if the law were abolished or 
ignored, only anarchy would follow? Can you not see 
this, mother?" 

"O yes, I see it, I understand it all. The law is good 
and ought to be and must be enforced, but he is my only 
son, my only child. I cannot, O I cannot return to that 
dreary cottage, a desolate, childless widow. O give me 
the life of my son, my only son !" 

"How, mother? Tell me how." 

"O it is so easy, governor. Take your pen and write 
a pardon for him, and stamp it with the seal of state, 
and I can take that bit of paper and go to the prison, and 
with it pass through the great iron gates, and with it I 
can open the door of that cell which holds my son; and 
with it I can save his life. O it will cost you nothing to 
write it, while to withhold it will cost me my all! O 
grant a widow's petition and pardon my son !" 

"Yes, mother, it is easy to write a pardon; but if I 
pardon all those who are convicted of crime, we might as 
well have no law, for the criminals would soon learn that 
were they detected in their crimes, — were they convicted 
and sentenced to pay the penalty, — all they would need to 
do would be to petition the governor and obtain par- 
don. Can you not see that to pardon all law-breakers 
would make void the law, and introduce anarchy, as 
surely as to abolish the law? 

"Yes, I can understand it all. But is there no way to 



ON A BONDMAN'S BACK 81 

save my son, my only son ? Must he perish, and I return 
alone? Must I live and die childless and desolate? O 
my son, my son ! Would God I could die for thee, my 
son, my son!" 

The mother's prayer is prayed, her strength is spent, 
and she now sits in silence, the silence of despair. 

This is as far as the parable can proceed with real 
life experience for a foundation. But we must carry it 
farther without a foundation in fact. 

At length the governor's son, who has been a silent 
listener to the pathetic pleadings of the mother, and the 
faultless, infallible reasoning of his father's reply, now 
breaks the oppressive silence with the hopeful words: 

"Father, I have a plan whereby you can not only save 
to this mother her son, but at the same time establish 
and magnify the law." 

"But how, my son?" 

"Write the pardon for which the mother pleads, and 
at the same time write an order committing me as a 
substitute for the son, to the same cell ; and when the 
death watch is passed, and the hour of execution is 
called, I will answer to the name of the widow's son, and 
die in his stead. When the people hear of it, they will 
with one voice exclaim, 'Behold ! how the governor loved 
the widow's wayward son' ; and in the next breath they 
will cry, Tn what high esteem he holds the law ! Rather 
than lessen in the least its just claims on the life of the 
lawless, he has enforced it to the letter on the life of 
his only son. He saved the widow's son and magnified 
the law.' '' 

It now lies with the father to decide whether he will 
make the sacrifice. He sees the science of State in the 
suggestion of his son, but the staggering price to be paid ! 

But he pays the price. The pardon is granted, and the 
criminal is free. The warrant is written and the son as 



82 A FREEMAN'S FROCK 

a substitute stands at the cell of the pardoned sinner. 
Will the prisoner accept the substitute? The governor's 
son unbars the door and passes into the presence of the 
pardoned man, and places in his hand the pardon, saying 
as he does it: 

"You are my father's freed man, he has paid for your 
life; I am his prisoner, the price he has paid. You are 
his son, and I am the criminal. Your prison garb is 
mine, and my garments are yours. Your tarnished name 
is mine, and my father's honored name is yours. Take 
them and go free. I have taken your place with its pen- 
alty, and will pay the price on the morrow." 

The widow's son stands surprised and staggered. He 
reads the pardon. He listens in silence to the statement 
of his substitute ; then with grinding teeth to subdue into 
silence the voice of a long-lost chord in a crime-calloused 
heart, he says, with firmness of tone: 

'T thank you for the kindness you have shown me. 
My heart is calloused with many crimes, but I would 
have you know that I can still recognize so marvelous a 
manifestation of unselfish love. But I cannot accept it. 
I will answer the hangman's call myself and let this 
crime-stained life atone with its own blood. I cannot 
accept freedom on the terms you offer." 

"But why not? Are not the terms all you could de- 
sire? What more could you ask?" 

"O my friend, I must have more. You are asking 
me to place a freeman's frock on a bondman's back. If 
I button that coat over this brutal breast, it will not be 
a fortnight before I will be back to this cell, having 
stained the coat with fresh-wrought crimes. I must have 
more. If I take your father's name with my frightful 
nature it will be a farce, and I will but foul your father's 
name, and find myself before a fortnight again in fet- 
ters. If you could give me your heart when you give 



ON A BONDMAN'S BACK 83 

me your coat, — if you could give me your nature when 
you give me your name, then there would be hope. But 
to ask me to button that stainless coat over this stony 
heart, — to ask me to carry an honored name above a 
crime-stained nature, is but to put a freeman's frock on 
a bondman's back. O I must have more.'' 

The governor's son is speechless. He has no answer 
to make to the demand of the widow's son. He can give 
him his coat, but he cannot give him his heart. He can 
give him his name, but he cannot give him his nature. 

Here the curtain falls, to be lifted in the next chap- 
ter on another scene, involving not the human law of an 
earthly State, but the Divine law of the universe; not 
the life of a widow's son, but the life of the Son of God. 



XV 

A FREEMAN'S FROCK ON A BONDMAN'S BACK 

(Applied) 

The Ruler of the Universe, the Ancient of Days, is 
seated upon his throne. His only begotten Son sits ai 
His right hand. A swift-winged angel approaches with 
the startling message that the children of earth have 
sinned, — transgressed the Royal Law. The wages of 
sin is death, and the sentence hangs heavy over the heads 
of the guilty world. 

Without questioning the foreknowledge of God, 'Tor 
he knoweth the end from the beginning," let us suppose 
that a council was called to deal with the sinners of 
earth. Had there been an unwise angel at that council, 
he might have suggested that the sins of the children of 
earth be passed by without notice, since it would be too 
sad to think of inflicting the death penalty upon the sin- 
ning pair. But that counsel could not be accepted, be- 



84 A FREEMAN'S FROCK 

cause, if followed, it would bring anarchy into the uni- 
verse of God. 

Another might have suggested that the law be abol- 
ished, and thus the sinner would be saved. But no; that 
counsel could not be followed, for if the holy law were 
abolished to save the sinner, it would but exalt sin and 
degrade righteousness. Another might have proposed 
that pardon be granted them and that the matter thus 
be passed by. But pardon without punishment would 
reflect on the righteousness of the law, and subtract from 
the seriousness of sin as surely as would the abrogation 
of the law. No; without the shedding of blood, there 
is no remission of sins. 

The Son might have said, "Father, I have a plan by 
which to save the sinning world, and at the same time 
magnify the law and the Law-giver. This is the plan: 
Pardon the sinners and place their sins upon me. I will 
carry the accursed load to the Cross of Calvary. I will 
pay the penalty. I will die as a substitute for the sin- 
ning world. Then, when the whole family in heaven and 
earth shall hear of it, they will exclaim : 'Behold how the 
Father loved the sinners of earth ; rather than see them 
perish, he placed their sins upon His only Son and sac- 
rificed Him as their substitute.' With the same voice they 
will cry, 'Behold how highly He holds the Royal Law! 
Rather than lessen the seriousness of sin by excusing the 
penalty of the law, He has executed that penalty to the 
last letter upon His only begotten Son. He has saved a 
sinning world by the sacrifice of His Son, and magnified 
the majesty of the law and the mercy of the Law-giver.' " 

O the Divine Statesmanship displayed in this plan ! 
But O the staggering sacrifice demanded from Divinity ! 

It is now left with the Father to make the surpassing 
sacrifice. There is no hesitation, for the Father and Son 
are one in the origin and execution of the plan. ''For 



ON A BONDMAN'S BACK 85 

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish 
but have everlasting life." "God was in Christ recon- 
ciling the world unto Himself." John 3 : 16, and 2 Cor. 
5:19. 

The gift is given, the Son is sent. And the Father's 
Son, with a free pardon for a world in one hand and an 
order for His own execution in the other, appears on the 
threshold of earth's prison house, unlocks the door and 
sets its captives free. 

*T, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and 
will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee 
for a covenant of the people, for a light to the Gentiles ; 
to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from 
the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the 
prison house." Isa. 42 : 6, 7. 

"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he 
hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek ; 
he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to pro- 
claim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the 
prison to them that are bound." Isa. 61 : 1, 2. 

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been 
brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the 
synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 
And there was delivered unto him the book of the 
Prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the 
place where it was written, 'The spirit of the Lord is 
upon me, because he anointed me to preach good tidings 
to the poor: he hath sent me to proclaim release to the 
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at 
liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable 
year of the Lord.' And he closed the book, and gave it 
back to the attendant, and sat down ; and the eyes of all 
in the synagogue were fastened upon him. And he be- 
gan to say unto them, 'Today hath this Scripture been 



86 A FREEMAN'S FROCK 

fulfilled in your ears.' And all bear him witness, and 
wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of 
his mouth." Luke 4: 14-22. (R. V.) 

The proclamation of pardon, which was once based 
upon the coming of the Christ to the Cross of Calvary, 
is now based upon the accomplished fact of his cruci- 
fixion. The Lamb of God on whom the Father by his 
own hands "hath laid . . . the iniquities of us all, ' 
bruised and bleeding beneath His burden, bears "the sins 
of the whole world," from the gloom and groans of the 
garden to the piercing cry of the cross. 

"It is finished." The penalty is paid, not alone in 
promise, but now in performance. When that thorn- 
pierced head bowed low on that lifeless breast, and his 
soul was made "an offering for sin," the penalty was 
paid, the pardon was proclaimed, and the prisoners freed. 
"For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus 
judge, that one died for all, therefore all died." 2 Cor. 
5:14. (R. V.) "He that is dead is freed from sin." 
Rom. 6:7. 

It is with this Gospel of deliverance, this emancipation 
proclamation, that the risen Christ, by His Spirit, now 
comes to the children of men proclaiming "release to the 
captives," through the free pardon purchased by His 
blood. 

But He comes with more than a pardon for the past. 
No man can meet Him with the objection of the widow's 
son, no man can refuse the pardon on the ground that 
he must carry a freedman's name with a bondman's na- 
ture. God never gives to a Jacob a change of name with- 
out giving him at the same time a change of nature. 

Through His abounding grace, God in Jesus Christ 
has changed a sinning world from slaves of sin to sons 
of God. But He does not ask men to take the new label 
without the new life. Multitudes are doing this today 



ON A BONDMAN'S BACK 87 

to the dishonor of God, and the denial of His deliver- 
ance. 

*'In the last days perilous times shall come. For men 
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, 
proud, . . . lovers of pleasure more than lovers of 
God ; having a form of godliness, but denying the power 
thereof." 2 Tim. 3:1-5. They are but wearing a free- 
man's frock on a bondman's back. 

Under grace, the world is given not only pardon for 
past transgressions in the death of Christ, but powder for 
the present in the life of the Iking Christ. 'Tor if, while 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through 
the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall 
we be saved by His life." Rom. 5 :10. (R. V.) 

"For in that He died, He died unto sin once ; but in 
that He liveth. He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye 
also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto 
God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6: 10. 

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit 
will I put within you : and I will take away the stony 
heart out of your flesh, and I w^ill give you a heart of 
flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause 
you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judg- 
ments and do them." Eze. 36: 26, 27. 

"The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath 
made me free from the law of sin and death. For what 
the law could not do in that it was weak through the 
flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful 
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the 
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who 
walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." Rom. 
8 : 2-4. 

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so 
be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man 



88 A FREEMAN'S FROCK 

have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Rom. 
8:9. 

"I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I Hve; yet 
not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the Hfe which I now 
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, 
who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2 : 20. 

From all this it is made plain that the glorious Gospel 
of the blessed God does not ask men to place a free- 
man's frock on a bondman's back; but with the new 
name it gives the new nature; with the new linen gar- 
ment the new gift of life. Any Gospel, therefore, whose 
salvation stops short of fulfilling or doing the righteous- 
ness of the law in the life of the redeemed man by means 
of the indwelling Christ, is not the glorious Gospel of 
the blessed God. The presence of the life of God means 
the presence of the law of God. 



XVI 
MAKING FREEMEN BY FORCE 

Though it has cost the Father the life of His only 
begotten Son to deliver man from the law which he has 
transgressed, and placed him under grace, yet man is left 
free to yield himself a servant of sin unto death, or of 
obedience unto righteousness. And herein lies a divine 
truth which exhibits one of the unalterable attributes of 
God, whose government is founded not on slavish fear, 
but on the loyalty of love. God could not force man to 
receive free grace without thereby enslaving him. 

Let me illustrate: Although the government of the 
United States proclaimed the freedom of its slaves and 
provided for the maintenance of their freedom at such 
terrible cost of life and treasure, it could not force a 
single slave to accept his freedom. It could place a mil- 



MAKING FREEMEN BY FORCE 89 

lion men on the field of battle. It could meet the most 
skillful of military men and take the strongest fortifica- 
tions, defended by the bravest of men. It could meet 
the destroying Merrimac with the terrible Monitor. It 
could make the slave master's land a wilderness, and 
sweep with the besom of destruction from Atlanta to the 
sea, but it could not force freedom upon a single freed- 
man. 

If the freedman chose to remain in slavish servitude 
to his old master, the government was powerless to pre- 
vent it without thereby enslaving him. The government 
might remove the colored man to another State, but 
when he was released he could return to his old master. 
The government might then transplant him to the most 
distant State in the Union, but on releasing him, there 
was nothing to prevent his returning. 

Manifestly, the only way to prevent his returning to 
his old master, and continuing his former slavery, if he 
were disposed to return, would be to keep him in prison. 
But in that case the government would be delivering him 
from one form of bondage only to force him into an- 
other. 

Although the God of Heaven has paid such an in- 
finite price in blood and treasure to emancipate a race of 
slaves of Satan, yet he cannot force that freedom upon 
the freedman. He will have no forced service. He 
seeketh only such to worship Him who worship Him in 
spirit and in truth. He could make war on the slave- 
master, Satan; He could hurl the armies of Heaven 
against the armies of hell ; He could see His only begot- 
ten Son, the Prince of Peace, perish, pierced and bleed- 
ing, at the hands of the hosts of darkness ; He could pay 
this surpassing price for the purchase of man's pardon ; 
but when all this was done. He could only plead and pray 
in the person of His apostles, "Be ye reconciled to God." 



90 MAKING FREEMEN BY FORCE 

One shudders when it is realized that the punishment of 
the rejectors of grace will be in proportion to the price 
paid for their pardon. 

And here we have reached the unpardonable sin. 



XVII 
FREEDOM BY FAITH ONLY 

Notwithstanding that Christ "His own self bore our 
sins in His own body on the tree" ; notwithstanding that 
the "Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" ; not- 
withstanding that "He is the propitiation for our sins ; 
and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole 
world" ; notwithstanding that "God was in Christ, rec- 
onciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their tres- 
passes unto them" ; notwithstanding that "He was made 
sin for us who knew no sin" ; notwithstanding that 
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, be- 
ing made a curse for us" ; notwithstanding that "He 
tasted death for every man" ; notwithstanding that all 
this was done for us before we knew it ; notwithstanding 
that "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us," and 
"while (R. V.) we were enemies we were reconciled to 
God by the death of His Son" ; — notwithstanding that 
all this has been done for us, and will never be undone, 
but will stand throughout eternity as an everlasting 
monument to God's mercy to sinful man, yet no man 
will profit by this unsearchable grace who does not ac- 
cept it by faith. 

It was through unbelief, and disobedience that al- 
ways follows unbelief, that Adam enslaved the world. 
And although Christ has redeemed the world from that 
slavery by paying the price of their redemption, — death, 
yet He will not force this freedom upon any man. He 



FREEDOM BY FAITH ONLY 91 

did not force Adam to believe, but left him free to be- 
lieve his Creator and be free, or believe the slave-master 
and become a bondman. 

So today, while God has redeemed the world from 
the slavery into which Adam sold it, yet He will not 
force this freedom upon any man. The glorious Gospel 
of the blessed God places every man on the same van- 
tage ground where Adam stood, with this advantage, 
that man has seen and experienced the results of sin, 
an experience which Adam had not experienced before 
the fall. 

To have forced Adam to believe, in the beginning, 
would have made of him a mere machine with no more 
responsibility than any other machine. And this is one 
reason why salvation is by faith, and not by force. If 
salvation were by force, then all worship of God would 
be forced worship. But God does not find pleasure in 
mechanical, formal worship. ''But the hour cometh, and 
now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the 
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh 
such to worship Him." John 4 : 23. 

But while salvation is of faith, and no part of the 
gift of grace will profit the sinner unless he accepts it 
by faith, yet it must be borne in mind that faith does 
not earn salvation, nor does it add a particle to the grace 
already given, — to the work already finished, — to the lib- 
erty already proclaimed. 

When a sinner believes, God does not need to lay 
the sinner's sins upon his Son, and send Him again to 
the cross to suffer; "For then must he often have suf- 
fered since the foundation of the world ; but now once 
in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away 
sin by the sacrifice of himself." Heb. 9:26. *'But this 
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, 
sat down on the right hand of God ; from henceforth ex- 



92 FREEDOM BY FAITH ONLY 

pecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by 
one offering he hath perfected forever them that are 
sanctified." ''Now where remission of these is, there is 
no more sacrifice for sins." Heb. 10: 12-14, 18. 

No, faith does not make it necessary for God to re- 
peat his finished work. The faith of the sinner simply 
appropriates what is already given him in Christ, — that 
which has been his all his life: yes, that which was his 
before he was born: yes, before the foundation of the 
world. 

This truth is illustrated by the emancipation of the 
American slaves. It was while they were slaves that they 
were emancipated. It was not because of anything they 
had done or would do that they were set free. They 
were proclaimed free without consulting them as to 
whether they desired to be free, or whether they would 
accept the freedom were it granted. And when the col- 
ored man believed the proclamation that had made him 
free, it did not make it necessary for the government to 
make a new proclamation to perfect his freedom. When 
the President had made one proclamation, he had finished 
making free the slaves included in that proclamation. 
His work from that time on was to maintain for the 
colored man the freedom which he had given him in 
that proclamation. Manifestly, if the first proclamation 
making the colored man free, was not true, and could 
not be maintained, it would be useless to issue another 
proclamation to make him free. A second proclamation 
would only be an admission that the first was a failure. 

And just as the faith of the colored freedman ap- 
propriated the freedom which was already his by the 
proclamation^ so the redeemed sinner appropriates what 
is already his by the proclamation of the cross. 

And just as the colored man who did not believe that 
he was proclaimed free, lived the rest of his days a 



FREEDOM BY FAITH ONLY 93 

freed man in bondage, so the sinner who refuses to 
beheve the proclamation of Hberty making him free 
through the cross of Calvary, will live the rest of his 
days a redeemed man in bondage. 

Just as the President of the United States would not 
revoke his proclamation in behalf of those who would 
not believe it, but would let the proclamation stand as a 
witness to the righteousness of the government, and 
would leave the colored man to suffer the results of his 
unbelief, so the God of all grace will not revoke the 
proclamation of freedom through forgiveness of sins in 
behalf of those who refuse to believe, but will leave the 
proclamation standing as an everlasting witness to the 
righteousness of God, and leave the unbelieving man to 
suffer the results of his unbelief. 

It is impossible to revoke the groans of the Garden, 
the agonizing cries of Calvary, and the shameful death 
of the Cross. Forever the fact will remain that the Son 
of God suffered and died for a sinning world. It will 
ever remain that God was in Christ reconciling the world 
unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. 
For the everlasting vindication of God and His righteous 
judgments, it will forever remain that ''while we were 
enemies we zvere reconciled to God through the death 
of His Son." This glorious truth will never be revoked, 
it can never be revoked without revoking the sufferings 
and death of the Son of God. But if the sinner refuses 
to accept this great salvation, it will forever remain 
that he refused to accept the freedom which was so 
freely given him. 

Without faith it is impossible to please God. In the 
light of Calvary's Cross, unbelief becomes a terrible sin. 
How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ! 
The sin of refusing to take freedom so freely given is 
the sin for zvhich lost man zvill suffer. He will not suffer 



94 FREEDOM BY FAITH ONLY 

because in Adam he was born a sinner, nor because as a 
slave of the Adam nature he sinned. He will suffer be- 
cause he neglected to be saved ; because he refused to 
receive a salvation which was given him at the cost of 
the life of the only begotten Son of God. 

Since unbelief is the sin which ruins the world, let 
us put away our unbelief. And since faith in the procla- 
mation of liberty pleases God, let us please Him now, and 
believe that He has reconciled us to Himself by the death 
of His Son. 

And just as the responsibility of maintaining the free- 
dom of the colored man, declared in the proclamation, 
rested upon the government of the United States, the 
author of the proclamation, provided the colored man 
accepted the freedom ; just so the responsibility of main- 
taining the freedom of the slave of sin declared in the 
proclamation of the Gospel, rests on the government ol 
God, the Author of our salvation, provided the sinner by 
faith accepts his salvation. It is our part to believe the 
proclamation and receive our freedom. It is God's part 
to keep us free. And, ''Whom the Son makes free is 
free indeed." 

The truth of this chapter will explain a scripture 
which to some has been obscure. It is this : *'A11 things 
whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have re- 
ceived them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11 : 24, R. V. 
The simple explanation is that already God ''hath blessed 
us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ." 
Eph. 1:3. It is the part of faith to appropriate these 
spiritual blessings. And the more liberally men take of 
these blessings the more is the God of all grace pleased. 
It was that we might freely take them and freely enjoy 
them that they were so freely given us in Christ. 

The writer was presenting this blessed truth in its 
relation to both soul and body healing, and was calling 



FREEDOM BY FAITH ONLY 95 

upon those present to accept the gift of healing already 
given in Christ, when all of a sudden a lifelong suflferer, 
who for years had suffered from dropsical swellings and 
from heart-weakness, whose bowels had not performed 
their functions for six years without artificial aid, saw 
the truth and claimed by faith the healing which was 
already hers in Christ. Instantly she w^as healed, to the 
glory of God and her unspeakable joy. A short sketch of 
her life and suffering, and how she received, by faith, 
healing of soul and body, will be found in Chapter XLV. 
The writer sympathizes with those who have been led 
to discredit these professed healings because of so much 
that will not bear close investigation. But after more 
than eighteen months' observation of this case, the last 
six of which was at close range, the healed one being 
for that time a member of the waiter's household, he is 
able to give his unqualified endorsement to the state- 
ments concerning her healing which are here made. 
''This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our 
faith." 1 John 5:4. 



XVIII 
BURYING THE BONDMAN; OR, FAITH AT WORK 

Reader, have you believed in Christ? have you be- 
lieved in Him? not in the general, indefinite way which 
usually passes for faith but w^hich is not faith at all. 
Bo you really believe in Christ With a personal, clearly 
defined faith? 

Do you believe that when the Father laid on Him the 
iniquities of us all, He laid your iniquities on Him? 

Do you believe that when He bore our sins in His own 
body on the tree, He bore your sins? 



96 BURYING THE BONDMAN, 

Do you believe that when He tasted death for every 
man He tasted death for you? 

Do you believe that ''one died for all, therefore all 
died," and that you were one of the ''all" for whom He 
died? 

Do you believe that His death was counted your 
death? and when He was dead God reckoned you dead 
in Him? 

Do you believe that when the Son of God was dead, 
God reckoned Him free from the penalty of the sins for 
which He suffered? 

Do you believe that God reckoned you as suffering in 
His Son? — reckoned you dead when His Son was dead? 
— reckoned you free when His Son was free? 

Do you believe that while we were yet sinners Christ 
died for us? while we were enemies we were reconciled 
to God by the death of His Son? Do you believe that 
while you were a sinner Christ died for you, and while 
you were an enemy you were reconciled to God by the 
death of His Son? 

Do you believe that you were reconciled to God by 
the death of His Son long before you knew it, and while 
you were still His enemy? 

Do you believe that God waited for you to believe all 
this and receive your reconciliation and be reconciled? 

And do you believe that when your substitute was 
buried in Joseph's new tomb you were reckoned buried 
in Him? 

Do you believe that as "He was delivered for our 
offenses," so "He was raised again for our justification"? 

Do you believe that when He was raised from the 
dead, you were in Him raised from the dead? 

Do you believe that when the Father gave His Son 
the life by which He came forth from the grave, He gave 
that new life to you in Him? 



OR FAITH AT WORK 97 

Have you obeyed the command of scripture, "Reckon 
ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive 
unto God"? Have you reckoned as God has reckoned? 
Have you reckoned yourself dead to sin by the death of 
Christ, and alive unto God by the life which raised Christ, 
your substitute, from the dead ? 

Have you believed? 

You answer, "Yes," and that is right. God is pleased 
to have you thus answer, for without faith it is impos- 
sible to please God. But have you given expression to 
your faith in all this? Christ has provided a means by 
which you may express your faith in the death, burial 
and resurrection of Christ for you. Have you permitted 
your faith to express itself in the way He has com- 
manded? 

Have you ever wondered why — in the New Testament 
— so much importance is attached to baptism? It is be- 
cause baptism is the Lord's appointed way by which faith 
ir the Gospel is acted out in the life. Faith which is not 
given a chance to manifest itself in action will die. And 
that which professes to be faith, but which refuses to act 
in the Lord's appointed way is not faith ; for faith with- 
out works is dead. Faith cannot be seen except when it 
appears in works. And all the faith you have must ap- 
pear in works, or perish. To the vain man who would 
show the apostle James faith without works, James an- 
swered, "I will show thee my faith by my works." James 
2:18. 

It is for this reason that men are commanded to be 
baptized. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gos- 
pel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned." 
Mark 16: 15, 16. 

Why is it that baptism is coupled with faith as the 
way of salvation? Is there any power in water to save 



98 BURYING THE BONDMAN, 

from sin? — No, none whatever; but he who beheves the 
Gospel must and will show that faith by the obedience of 
faith, which is baptism. The commandment to be bap- 
tized when rightly understood means that he that be- 
lieveth the good news that Christ died for him, was 
buried for him, and rose for him, and then through the 
death, burial and rising of baptism expresses that faith, 
shall be saved. 

There is no salvation in forms and ceremonies ; no 
salvation in the mere act of baptism. Baptism is not 
essential to salvation, but in salvation. There is salvation 
in allowing the faith of God to work in us both to will 
and to do of His good pleasure. And it is His good 
pleasure that when we believe that Christ was delivered 
for our offenses and rose again for our justification, we 
should show our faith in His appointed w^ay by being 
buried with Him and rising again with Him to walk in 
newness of life. In the light of this truth the scripture 
found in Romans 6 is full of meaning. 

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, 
that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, 
that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye 
not, that so many of us as were baptized in Jesus Christ 
were baptized into His death ? Therefore we are buried 
with Him by baptism into death ; that like as Christ was 
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even 
so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we 
have been planted together in the likeness of His death, 
we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection." 
Verses 1-5. 

Baptism when fully understood is a simple expression 
of faith in the whole gospel. First of all, we are called 
upon to reckon ourselves dead. But why do we reckon 
ourselves dead? Simply because in the light of the Gospel 
we see ourselves '' born in sin" and therefore unfit to live. 



OR FAITH AT WORK 99 

We therefore reckon ourselves dead because we have first 
come to reckon ourselves unfit to live. This is where the 
test comes. In this we are called upon to repudiate our 
carnal life, that which was born of the flesh; and this, to 
the old man, is crucifying. Every instinct of the Adam 
nature protests against this judgment upon the old man. 
x^nd it is at this point that so many fail. This path is too 
humbling, and they seek some other broader way. 

But, reader, it was because your sinful nature and 
your sins had made you unfit to live, that Christ your 
substitute was crucified for you. When He had loaded 
Himself with your nature and wnih. your sins, He counted 
Himself unfit to live ; and willingly laid down His life. 
And now are you going to stand in your pride at the foot 
of Calvary and let Him climb the hill alone? Are you 
going to count yourself too good to die, while He who 
took your nature and your sins was counted unworthy to 
live? 

No, no! Take your place in your sin-bearing Sub- 
stitute and let your faith follow Him up the hill. Take 
your place in Him when He is nailed to the cross. Reckon 
yourself with Him unworthy to live. Reckon yourself 
in Him dead indeed unto sin. And then you may reckon 
yourself alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Then 
you will be able to cry with the exultant apostle Paul, *T 
was [R. v.] crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; 
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I 
now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of 
God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 
2:20. 

Reader, have you reckoned yourself born in sin and 
therefore unworthy to live ? Have you gone further and 
reckoned yourself as having died when He died? If so, 
your next step is to reckon yourself in need of a burial. 



100 BURYING THE BONDMAN, 

But here is the test again. Must I express my faith 
in this truth publicly f Must I be baptized pubhcly? 
Must I pubHcly repudiate my old Hfe by the act of burial 
with Christ by baptism? 

If this thought causes you to shrink from this public 
repudiation of the old carnal nature, it is evident that you 
are still making an effort to shield your old life, whose 
sins crucified your blessed Lord. 

Stop a moment. Has your life been lived in public? You 
have not lived all your life in solitary confinement where 
no eye could see you. As certainly as your life has been 
lived in view of even the few, — perhaps your family and 
a very few friends, — just so certainly has your life been 
seen with the sinful fruits which it has borne. Are you 
too proud to show that you have repudiated that life as 
unworthy continued existence ? Are you too proud to say 
to the world that you have accepted the blessed gift of 
God, the life of His Son? All this drawing back from 
baptism is a sure sign of a lack of appreciation of the 
glorious gift of God given in the death and resurrection 
of His Son. 

Suppose you were to be hanged tomorrow for some 
crime committed ; suppose at midnight while you are 
pacing the floor in agony of mind, — in expectation that 
the dawn of the morning would bring you death, a mes- 
senger should come to your cell with the words, "I have 
glad tidings for you, and you have been pardoned. All that 
is asked of you is that you acknowledge your crime, ac- 
knowledge that you are worthy of death and show by be- 
ing publicly baptized, that you have reckoned yourself un- 
worthy to live, — that you admit the justice of your sen- 
tence of death, and that you repudiate your old life and 
begin a new life" ; would you begin to quibble about the 
conditions and ask if the baptism might not be performed 
in private? or if it might not be done in some way so as 



OR FAITH AT WORK 101 

not to get your clothing wet? or at least if the water could 
not be warmed on account of the shock which the cold 
water would give to your nerves? 

If I were the bearer of the glad tidings and you would 
begin thus to quibble, I would be greatly disappointed, 
and be driven to the conclusion that you did not appre- 
ciate the salvation that I had brought you. 

In like manner all quibbling at the command of God 
for baptism as an expression of our faith and our accept- 
ance of the unspeakable grace of God in the gift of His 
Son, is but a sad, unmistakable sign that the quibbler 
utterly fails to appreciate the great salvation so freely 
given in the Cross of Calvary. It is an evidence that the 
objector is not dead to the world, not dead to sin. 

Herein lies another important truth. Our Saviour 
was not buried in order to crucify Him. He was buried 
because He was crucified. He was not buried to make 
sure that He w^as dead, but He was buried because His 
friends were sure that He was dead. People are not 
buried to kill them nor to make sure that they are dead ; 
but because they are dead, and their burial is a proof that 
their friends are persuaded that they are dead. 

Those who are buried in the likeness of Christ's death 
are not buried in order to crucify them or to make sure 
that they are dead to sin ; but as an expression of their 
faith in the fact that they are dead. They must first 
reckon themselves dead and then follow their Lord in 
baptism. And when they are really dead to the world, 
to its pride, to its applause, to its opinions, there will be 
no hesitation about being buried with Christ in baptism. 

Come, dear reader, if you have not yet reckoned 
yourself dead to the world, do it now. Or if you have 
reckoned yourself dead, but have not as yet given pub- 
lic expression to your faith in this fact, in God's ap- 
pointed way, hasten to do it. You will find a great bless- 



102 BURYING THE BONDMAN, 

ing in this "obedience of faith." "Faith without works is 
dead." ''He that beHeveth and is baptized shall be saved, 
he that believeth not shall be damned." 



XIX 
THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

Seeing then the Father ''hath laid on Him [His Son] 
the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6), and "He is the pro- 
pitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for 
the sins of the whole v/orld" (1 John 2:2); inasmuch as 
He "taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), 
and "He hath made Him to be sin for us" (2 Cor. 5: 
21), and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6: 23) ; and 
seeing that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for 
us" (Rom. 5:8) ; since Fie by the grace of God tasted 
death for every man (Heb. 2:9); seeing that "while 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the 
death of His Son" (Rom. 5:10, R. V.), and "were made 
dead to the law through the body of Christ" (Rom. 7: 4, 
R. V.) ; and since "we have been discharged from the 
law, having died to that wherein we were holden" (Rom. 
7:6, R. V.) ; "Because we thus judge that One died for 
all, therefore all died" (2 Cor. 5:14, R. V.) ;— seeing 
that all this is true, how is it that sinners will be pun- 
ished for their sins in the "day of judgment and perdi- 
tion of ungodly men" ? 2 Peter 3 : 7. 

Has not death, the penal price of sin, been paid on 
behalf of the whole world, in its substitute, the Lamb of 
God which taketh away the sin of the world? Does 
God demand the payment of a debt tmice, once in His 
Son, and again in the sinner? Can God demand a sec- 
ond payment of a debt from the sinner without throwing 
discredit on the payment of His Son? 



THE VSPARDOSABLE SIN 103 

That the sinner by his sinning;- incurs a debt which can 
be discharged only by the payment of that debt, either 
in the person of the sinner or his Substitute, is clearly 
the Bible doctrine of sin and its punishment. 

The word "redemption,'' both in the Old and the 
New Testament, stands for a purchasing back of that 
which was sold. Read the following proof texts : 

''Thus saith the Lord, ye have sold yourself for 
naught; and ye shall be redeemed without money." (Isa. 
52: 3.) "The law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under 
sin." (Rom. 7: 14.) "F'eed the church of God, which He 
hath purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28.) 
"Ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in 
your body, and in your spirit, w^hich are God's." (1 Cor. 
6:20.) "Ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, 
with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed 
down from your fathers ; but with precious blood, as of 
a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood 
of Christ." 1 Pet. 1 : 18, 19. R. V. 

Inasmuch then, as the price of the sinner's redemp- 
tion, — death, — has been paid by the death of Christ, 
wherein is the justice, — to say nothing of mercy, in de- 
manding a second payment in the death of the sinner? 

Fearing to admit the truth so plainly stated in the 
foregoing scriptures, lest it lead to the unscriptural doc- 
trine of Universalism, many have been led into one or 
the other of the following errors concerning the atone- 
ment: 

The first error is, that Christ did not really suffer the 
penalty of man's transgression, but that He by His death 
only furnished a means whereby the sins of the redeemed 
were passed on to meet their real punishment in the per- 
son of the Mosaic, antitypical scapegoat, Satan. This 
view robs Christ of His glory as Redeemer, and makes 
Satan the real sin-bearer and redeemer of the world. 



104 THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

The second error into which a fear of UniversaHsm 
has led others is that Christ did not die for all, but only 
for an elect few. This is as unscriptural as the first er- 
ror, and just as dishonoring to God and to His Son, 
''who by the grace of God tasted death for ez'ery man." 

A third error is, that while Christ did pay the penalty 
of man's sin by His death, yet His death, it is said, leaves 
the sinner, in himself considered, just as guilty as though 
Christ had not died, and consequently as heavily in debt 
as though Christ had not paid the debt. This again dis- 
honors God by placing Him in the position of demand- 
ing from the sinner the payment of a debt that has al- 
ready been paid. We would expect such a demand from 
a tyrant, but not from our God whose ways are ways of 
righteousness, and who calls upon the children of men 
to recognize His righteousness. 

But, is a dead man guilty? The savage hacks and 
cuts the lifeless body of his victim as part of his pun- 
ishment ; but all civilized nations consider that the pen- 
alty is paid when the transgressor is dead. There is no 
truth of the gospel more plainly or positively affirmed in 
the "word of His grace" than that the death of Christ 
is reckoned to be the death of the sinner. Christ did 
not die for His own sins, for He never sinned. Conse- 
quently His death was that of a Substitute for the sin- 
ner, and hence the sinner is reckoned as having died when 
his Substitute died ; — died in his Substitute. 

Note this truth in the following scriptures : ''While 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the 
death of His Son." (Rom. 5:10. R. V.) ''His own self 
bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, be- 
ing dead to sins." (1 Pet. 2: 24.) "Ye also were made 
dead to the law through the body of Christ." Rom. 7 : 4. 
R. V. 

"We have been discharged from the law, having died 



THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 105 

[*'by the body of Christ"] to that wherein we were 
holden. (Rom. 7:6. R. V.) "For the love of Christ 
constrains us ; because we thus judge, that one died for 
all, therefore all died." 2 Cor. 5 : 14. R. V. 

Since God reckons all dead in the death of His Son, 
how can He demand that the sinner, who has once died 
for his sins in his Substitute, should die again for the 
same sins (for which Christ died) without thereby de- 
manding a second death from one who has already died. 

Someone will begin to inquire the way out of the 
seeming difficulty. Since Universalism is unscriptural, 
and seeing that Christ did die for all, and God will not 
demand the payment of the penalty twice, nor demand 
the death of a man already dead, why then are the 
wicked punished with death, as they certainly will be, 
according to the plainest statements of Scripture? The 
following chapters will explain this seeming difficulty. 



XX 

WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

The explanation of the seeming difficulty reached in 
the last chapter lies in the Bible truth that while Christ 
tasted death for ''every man," He did not taste death for 
every sin which it is possible for a man to commit. There 
is a sin which is unpardonable, as will be seen from a 
careful study of a number of scriptures treating upon 
this subject. 

Let us see first what is not the unpardonable sin. 
From the writer's experience in presenting the subject of 
the unpardonable sin, he has learned that the listener 
who has a wrong conception of it, hesitates to accept the 
plainest scriptures for fear they may involve him in that 



106 WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

terrible sin. This difficulty is quickly removed by a 
statement of what the unpardonable sin is not. 

First, sins of ignorance are not unpardonable. The 
Apostle Paul makes this clear in his address to the 
Athenians. 

''The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; 
but now He commandeth men that they should all every- 
where repent." Acts 17:30. R. V. 

But the only way by which God can overlook sin is 
in shedding of blood ; "apart from shedding of blood, 
there is no remission." When, therefore, the apostle 
told the Athenians that God had overlooked their sins of 
ignorance, he told them in reality the good news that 
the penalty of those sins had been paid in the death of 
God's Son. Therefore, sins of ignorance are not among 
the sins that are unpardonable. 

• Again, the apostle, speaking of his own sins of ig- 
norance in persecuting the church of Christ, says : 
''Though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, 
and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did 
it ignorantly in unbelief." 

Since he obtained mercy because he did it ''ignorantly 
in unbelief," it follows that if he had done it with a full 
knowledge of what he was doing, he would not have 
found mercy, for the reason that the sacrifice of Christ 
was not made in behalf of such sinning. All the mercy 
that ever will, or ever can be manifested toward sinning 
man was manifested at the cross. The Father then laid 
on His Son all the sins that will ever be pardoned, "else 
must He often have suffered since the foundation of the 
world ; but now once at the end of the ages hath He 
been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Him- 
self." Heb. 9:26. R. V. 

Even the terrible sin of killing the Prince of Peace 
was pardonable because it was a sin of ignorance. This 



WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 107 

is clear from the dying prayer of our Saviour who 
prayed, "Father, forgive them ; for they know not what 
they do." Luke 23 : 34. 

Thus it is clearly seen that sins of ignorance, though 
terrible in their wickedness, were included in the sins 
which were laid on the sinner's sacrifice. But if sins of 
ignorance onl^y were placed on the Sin-bearer, there 
w^ould be no hope of saving a single sinner, for where 
is there a son of Adam w^ho has not done that which he 
knew to be sin? 

Sinning when one knows it to be sin is not neces- 
sarily unpardonable. It may be done in weakness. One 
may know that a certain act is wrong, and yet not know 
how to obtain the victory over it. This is clearly stated 
by the Apostle Paul in the seventh chapter of the Epistle 
to the Romans. 

First, Paul declares that there was a time when he 
did not know sin, but afterward the commandment came 
and revealed to him the sin of coveting; then began the 
fight against his carnal nature. In this struggle, after 
he knew what sin is, but before he knew how^ to obtain 
deliverance from his carnal nature, he describes his ex- 
perience thus : ''For we know that the law is spiritual ; 
but I am carnal, sold under sin. . . . For the good that 
I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I 
do." Rom. 7:14, 19. 

This sinning is in one sense ignorance also, since the 
sinner, though knowing it to be sin is as yet ignorant 
of the way of escape from the enslaving carnal nature. 
But thanks be unto God who has laid on His Son, not 
only those sins which were committed in ignorance of 
their sinfulness, but those also which w^ere committed in 
ignorance of the way of salvation. 'Tor while we were 
yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. 
Rom. 5:6. R. V. 



108 WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

Praise the Lord for the privilege given in this chap- 
ter (Rom. 7) of blaming the carnal nature for those 
sins which were committed by the carnal nature, even 
before we have found separation from the enslaving part- 
nership. The enslaving carnal nature was laid upon us 
by the sinning father of the race. We were not to blame 
for being born in slavery to a sinning nature. The Lord 
knows this, and He therefore permits the struggling cap- 
tive who has with his ''mind," — with the "inward man," 
— taken sides with the holy law against the lawlessness 
of the ''carnal mind," — the Lord permits him to say even 
then, "But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto 
the law that it is good. So now it is no more / that do 
it, but sin which dwelleth in me. . . . For the good 
which I would I do not ; but the evil which I would not, 
that I practice. But if what I would not, that I do, it 
is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me." 
Rom. 7:16, 17, 19,20. R. V. 

But while the Spirit permits the struggling captive to 
blame the carnal nature with the sins which are com- 
mitted in him at this point in his experience, yet the same 
Spirit calls such a man a "wretched man," and leads him 
to cry bitterly for deliverance from the body of death to 
which he was enslaved by the sin of the first Adam, and 
with which he must perish unless by faith he accepts the 
deliverance which has already been purchased for him in 
the death of Christ. "O wretched man that I am ! Who 
shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Rom. 
7:24. 

How is it that the Spirit leads a man thus enslaved 
to blame the carnal mind for his sinning, and at the same 
time leads him to cry bitterly for deliverance from the 
death that awaits the man in that condition? The ex- 
planation lies in the fact that the Lord recognizes that it 
is the "law of sin and death" which is in our members 



WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 109 

that is doing the sinning, and which was transmitted to 
us through Adam's transgression, and for which we are 
not responsible. We were born with this body of death, 
and we are not responsible for being thus born, nor will 
we be condemned to death for the sins which are com- 
mitted by that carnal nature while we are seeking sep- 
aration from it. 

Nevertheless, these sins are our sins, because wrought 
by us. Though we have repudiated them in the mind, 
still they are wrought in deed by our sinful nature with 
which we are still identified, though desirous of being 
separated. But praise the Lord ! all these sins of ignor- 
ance and weakness were laid upon the Lamb of God who 
died for our sins. 

The sin which is unpardonable will be the sin of 
finally refusing the emancipation proclamation of separa- 
tion from that carnal nature. 

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath 
made me free from the law of sin and death." 

When we learn that there has already been given us 
in Christ a new life to displace the old life with which 
we were born, and which is making us such wretched 
sinners, then if we deliberately decide to retain the old 
carnal life and forever reject *'the law of the spirit of 
life in Christ Jesus," then we are committing the un- 
pardonable sin. The Lord does not blame a man for be- 
ing born in sin, but for neglecting or rejecting the sal- 
vation which has been purchased for him by the death 
of Christ, whereby he is set free from that slavery into 
which he was born. 

Let us illustrate it : A young tradesman on receiving 
a legacy by his father's will found himself the junior 
partner in a business whose senior partner was a dis- 
honest dealer, and who was constantly bringing the firm 
into disrepute by his dishonest dealings. The young 



110 WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

tradesman might justly protest to the wronged parties 
that he was not wilfully guilty of the firm's dishonest 
deeds because he could not prevent his stronger partner 
from committing the wrongs. The wronged parties 
could exonerate him personally from a deliberate inten- 
tion to do wrong in the matter, while still holding him re- 
sponsible as a member of the firm for his share of the 
firm's liabilities. But if, after the partnersship had been 
k gaily dissolved and the young man separated from the 
tyranny of the inherited partnership, he should then 
choose of his own free will to remain in the partnership, 
or should deliberately return to it because he chose to 
be enslaved rather than be free, he could no longer plead 
ignorance or weakness as a reason why he should not 
bear his share of the blame and punishment for the firm's 
wrongdoings. 

We were born into a partnership whose senior part- 
ner was lawless from the beginning; and we can plead 
as Paul did, first, that we did not know that our actions 
were sinful. After we have learned what sin is, but 
before we have learned the way of escape from the en- 
slaving partnership, we can plead that we were too weak 
to prevent the senior partner from bringing us into trans- 
gression of the law. The Lord has heard and will hear 
this plea of the captive. Moreover, He has paid our share 
of the firm's liability in the death of His Son, and has 
delivered us from future slavery by divorcing us from 
the dishonest partner. 

Now we are called upon to repudiate the dishonest 
deeds of this partnership into which we were born, and 
gladly accept the decree dissolving the partnership. If 
we reject this deliverance, we thereby decide in favor of 
the dishonest deeds of the lawless partner. In heart, we 
commit them again, — this time as our own sins, — com- 
mitted willingly in the full light of their sinfulness and 



WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN HI 

with full liberty to escape from them. Thus, by our own 
wilful transgressions, after having been delivered from 
our inherited slavery, we ourselves would crucify again, 
upon our own responsibility alone, Him who had once 
been crucified for our sins of ignorance and weakness 
which we committed as slaves to the Adam nature. 

Adam, by his sinning, made a world of sinners. We 
were not responsible for being made sinners, nevertheless 
it is zve who have sinned. Although with the ''mind" we 
hated the sin, yet with our flesh we have sinned. Speak- 
ing of himself as a whole, Paul says, "The evil which I 
would not, that / do/' It is not enough to say the *T" 
of the inward man does not sin, if the 'T" which repre- 
sents the whole man, the whole partnership, continues to 
sin. We must be saved from this sinning by the death 
of Christ, for it is our sinning, and without the shedding 
of blood there is no remission of sin. But thanks be 
unto God who has mercifully laid upon His Son all such 
sins of ignorance and weakness. 

Let us join at this point in thanking the God of all 
grace for assuming our share of the responsibility for 
the sins committed by that enslaving partnership into 
which we were born. Let us thank Him also for the 
decree dissolving that partnership. 

And let us remember that the man who does the 
things which he hates, is, according to the word, a 
"wretched man," "sold under sin," chained to a body of 
death from which he must accept, by faith, the deliver- 
ance which has been given him in Christ Jesus, or perish 
with that body of death. "But thanks be unto God who 
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 
"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made 
me free from the law of sin and death." 

Having now seen that sins of ignorance are not in- 
cluded in the unpardonable sin, and also that sins which 



112 WHAT IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

we commit after we have learned that they are sins, but 
before we have come to a knowledge of the truth of our 
deliverance from the sinning nature, and before we have 
rejected that good news, are not unpardonable sins ; let 
us now continue the study and learn what is the sin for 
which there is no pardon. 



XXI 

WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SIN? 

''If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto 
death, he shall ask and God will give him life for them 
that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death ; not 
concerning this do I say that he should make request. 
All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto 
death." Jno. 5 : 16, 17. R. V. 

This scripture declares that all unrighteousness is 
sin, but divides that ''all unrighteousness" into first, "sin 
not unto death," and second, "sin unto death." Prayer 
on behalf of the first will be heard, but no hope is held 
out for him who has committed the second. 

How is it that there is a sin not unto death? "The 
wages of sin is death." "Without the shedding of blood 
there is no remission." No sin, therefore, can be re- 
mitted without death. How is it, then, that the wages 
of sin is death, and yet "there is a sin not unto death." 

The explanation is simple. The sinning that is not 
unto death to the sinner, is that which has already been 
unto death in the sinner's Substitute, Jesus Christ, "who 
died for our sins." "Who His own self bare our sins in 
His own body on the tree." "The Lord laid on Him the 
iniquity of Us all." "That He by the grace of God should 
taste death for every man." "For he that hath died, is 



WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SIN? 113 

justified from sin." **One died for all, therefore all died." 
R. V. 

The sinning which is "unto death" is the sinning 
which our Saviour did not bear when He died for our 
eins ; that sinning "which shall not be forgiven" (Matt. 
12:31); for which "there remaineth no more a sacri- 
fice" (Heb. 10:26) ; that sinning which did not meet its 
penalty in the death of Christ, and which therefore must 
meet its penalty in the death of the sinner himself ; for 
the wages of sin is death. 

And now let us see this truth in a simple illustration. 
Let the following line represent all unrighteousness: 

"All unrighteousness is sin." "The wages of sin 
is death." 

The Holy Spirit divides all unrighteousness into two 
parts. That unrighteousness which is "not unto death," 
and that which "is unto death." 

"Sin not unto death \ "Sin unto death" 

"All unrighteousness is sin." "The wages of sin 
is death." 

Now the reason why the first part of all unrighteous- 
ness is not unto death, is because Christ met the death 
penalty of that sinning in His own death ; and His 
blood, which represents His death, covers that sinning, 
thus: 



THE CRIMSON LINE 


^^ SHALL NOT 


^^SIN NOT UNTO DEATH" 


^'5IN UNTO DEATH" 


OF SALVATION 


BE FORGIYEM'' 



Now that we have found that all unrighteousness is 
divided into "sin not unto death," and "sin unto death," 
let us apply this to the life of such a sinner. Just as 
certainly as the Holy Spirit divides all unrighteousness 



114 WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SINf 

into these two divisions, so surely the same Spirit divides 
the unrighteous ^ ^t/^ of the sinner into these two divi- 
sions ; because it is only in the life of such a sinner that 
these two divisions of unrighteousness appear. And now 
let the above illustration represent the unrighteous life 
of a sinner whose sinning includes these two kinds of 
sinning. 

From this it is clear that there may come a time in 
the life of a sinner when his sinning is **unto death," 
when it is of no avail to ask life for him because his 
sinning is sinning "which shall not be forgiven," for 
which no sacrifice was provided in the death of Christ. 

Not only is there a "sin unto death," for which it is 
of no avail to make request, but it is a sin which it is 
possible for the enlightened Christian to "see." "If any 
man see his brother sin a sin not unto death." "There 
is a sin not unto death." "There is a sin unto death; 
not concerning this do I say that he should pray." 

If our spiritual discernment is not keen enough to 
discern between the two, this does not change the scrip- 
tural truth that there may come a time in the life of a 
sinner when it may be recognized that his sinning is unto 
death, when his sinning is a sinning which was not laid 
upon the Lamb of God and must therefore be laid upon 
the sinner himself. 

Before passing to other scriptures which bring to 
view the same two classes of sinning, let it be remarked 
that there is just as much love manifested in these warn- 
ing scriptures as there is in the other scriptures of truth. 
There is just as much love in the faithful parent's words 
of warning to his child as in words of commendation. 

The two classes of sinning brought to view in 1 Jno. 
5 : 16, 17, are dealt with by our Saviour in Matt. 
12:31, 32. 

"Wherefore, I say unto you, all manner of sin and 



WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SINf 115 

blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men : but the blasphemy 
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven unto 
men." 

The Revised Version of Mark 3 : 29 reads thus : ''But 
whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, hath 
never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin." 

Here again we have our Saviour dividing all unright- 
eousness into ''sin not unto death" and "sin unto death," 
or which is the same thing, sin which shall be forgiven 
and sin which shall not be forgiven. Evidently those sins 
which, in the words of Christ, "shall be forgiven" are 
those sins which He was soon to carry to the cross and 
meet their penalty in His death ; and those sins which 
"shall not be forgiven," are those sins which Christ did 
not carry to Calvary, and did not meet their penalty in 
His death, and which therefore must be unto death in 
the death of the sinner himself. 

Let it be noted that wherever the unpardonable sin is 
brought to view it is in connection with the rejection of 
great gospel truth. In this case, our Saviour was reach- 
ing out the last hand that could be reached out for the 
salvation of sinners. After men fail to believe the Word, 
there is one more effort that can be made and that is 
the performing of wonderful works through the power 
of the Spirit of God. Christ said to the Jews, "If I do 
not the works of my Father, believe Me not. But if 1 
do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that 
ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and 
I in Him." Jno. 10:37, 38. 

It was on the occasion of the reaching out of this 
last hand that our Saviour gives the warning against 
committing the unpardonable sin. He had wrought a 
wonder by the Spirit of God in order to reach the un- 
believing Jews ; but they, having resisted the truth up to 
this point and finding it necessary to counteract the in- 



116 WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SINf 

fluence of this miracle upon the people, declared that this 
last hand thus reached out to save them was the hand 
of Satan. For such a sin there was no forgiveness. 

Note again the two classes of sinning in the follow- 
ing scripture : 

"For as touching those who were once enlightened 
and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made par- 
takers of the Holy Ghost, and tasted the good word of 
God, and the power of the age to come, and then fall 
away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance ; 
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, 
and put him to an open shame." Heb. 6 : 4-6. R. V. 

In this scripture the sin unto death is described as 
that ''falling away" of the sinner after he had been en- 
lightened by, and experienced the power of, the gospel. 
Again, it will be seen that the sinning concerning which 
it is impossible to renew one to repentance, is a falling 
away from the fulness of gospel light. The whole con- 
text shows that it is a public apostacy from the truth of 
the gospel. It is not a single act of sin which might be 
represented by a ''fall," but it is a falling away, sl re- 
jecting of the gospel. 

The illustration of the fruitful and unfruitful fields 
which follows confirms the conclusion that it is not a 
single sin or fall, but a rejection of a repeated manifes- 
tation of God's grace represented by a summer's sun and 
showers. But if after the summer's shining of the Sun of 
righteousness and the summer's showers of His grace 
have warmed and watered the heart, it yet chooses to 
bear the thorns and thistles of the carnal heart, it is 
impossible to renew such a sinner to repentance, there 
being no other shining and no other shov/ers. 

Why impossible? Simply because there is no repen- 
tance for such sinning. 



WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SINf 117 

And the reason why there is no repentance is because 
there is no forgiveness. 

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to give repentance. 
But the Spirit will not and cannot give repentance for 
sinning for which there is no forgiveness. And there is 
no forgiveness neither can there be, for the final rejec- 
tion of the gospel. In the sacrifice of Christ, there was 
no sacrifice made for such sinning. 

Surely, there is repentance to be found for all those 
sins for which a sacrifice was provided. A sinning, there- 
fore, for which there is no repentance must be a sinning 
for which no sacrifice was provided. And the sin of 
falling away or a final rejecting of the gospel after one 
has come to know its power, is the sin for which there 
is no repentance and no forgiveness ; because no sacrifice 
could be provided for such sinning without making 
Christ the minister of sin. 

The same two classes of sinning appear in the follow- 
ing scripture : 

"If we sin wilfully after that we have received the 
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacri- 
fice for sins." Heb. 10:26. 

In this scripture the same two classes of sinning are, 
first, those sins committed before the sinner comes to a 
knowledge of the truth (that is, before he has come to 
a knowledge of the fulness of the gospel, as presented in 
the scripture quoted from the 6th of Hebrews) ; and 
second, those sins which are involved in, and which fol- 
low, a final choosing to continue in sin. For such sin- 
ning this scripture declares, "there remaineth no more 
sacrifice for sin" ; and for the manifest reason that no 
sacrifice could be provided for such sinning. 

If Christ had borne the sin of finally rejecting salva- 
tion and the sins which followed such rejection, it would 
be impossible ever to bring sinning to an end. But the 



118 WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SINf 

mission of Christ is to make an end of sin. *'He that 
committeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from 
the beginning. . . . For this purpose the Son of man 
was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the 
devil/' But it would be impossible to destroy sinning or 
the works of the devil, if there were an atonement made 
for those sins of fallen men and angels committed in re- 
jecting all offers of salvation. 

If such sinning were included in the sacrifice of Christ, 
wicked men and angels could take advantage of this fact 
to continue their deliberate, defiant campaign against 
God and His people throughout all eternity. No, there 
is no sacrifice for such sinning, nor could there be with- 
out making Christ the perpetuator of sin. Having now 
found from the scriptures that there is a sinning for 
which no sacrifice was provided in the death of Christ, 
let us in the next chapter apply this truth to the solving 
of the seeming difficulty which we met at the close of 
chapter XIX. 



XXII 

A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 

The religious world is divided into three divisions 
over this subject: 

First, those who teach that the death of Christ is a 
full and final payment of aN the sins it is possible for 
those to commit, for whom He died, and that it is there- 
fore impossible for anyone for whom Fie died to be lost. 
But inasmuch as the Scriptures plainly teach that some 
will be lost, it becomes necessary for these teachers to 
take the position that Christ did not die for those who 
are lost, but only for an elect few, leaving the rest of 
the world without any possible chance of salvation. 



A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 119 

Those who take this position find it necessary to make 
a desperate effort to explain away the manifest meaning 
of the many scriptures which teach that Christ "died for 
alL" Among these texts are the following: "God so 
loved the zvorld, that He gave His only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life" ( Jno. 3 : 16) ; "God was in Christ 
reconciling the zvorld unto Himself" (2 Cor. 5:19); 
"That He, by the grace of God, should taste death for 
every man" (Heb. 2:9) ; "The grace of God that bring- 
cth salvation hath appeared unto ali men" (Titus 2: 11) ; 
"For as by one man's disobedience the many (R. V.) 
were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, the many 
(R. V.) shall be made righteous" (Rom. 5: 19) ; "Where 
sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Rom. 
5:21. 

This position may be illustrated by Fig. 1, enclosing 
a number of short lines representing the lives of the 
world of sinners. It will be noticed that this view draws 
the crimson line of salvation between the sinners of the 
world, and around a few called the "elect" : leaving all 
the rest in hopeless ruin without a Saviour. 

The second division, like the first, teaches that the 
death of Christ was a full and final payment of all the 
sinning of the sinners for whom he died. And, accept- 
mg the testimony of Scripture that He "died for all," 
they come to the conclusion that all must he saved. They, 
in turn, make a desperate but futile effort to explain 
away those many scriptures which teach that many will 
refuse salvation and be lost at last. 

"Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth 
to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat" 
(Matt. 7:13); "For the hour is coming in which all 
that are in their graves shall hear His voice, and shall 
come forth ; . . . they that have done evil unto the 



A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 121 

resurrection of damnation" ( Jno. 5 : 28, 29) ; ''Who shall 
be punished with everlasting destruction from the pres- 
ence of the Lord, and the glory of His power." 2 Thes. 
1:9. 

Let this position be illustrated by Fig. 2, with the 
crimson line of salvation drawn around all the sinning of 
all the world's sinners. 

The third division of thought on this subject, teaches 
that Christ died for all, but that His death does not pay 
man's debt in reality, but only suspends that debt of sin 
over the head of the sinner, with the warning that the 
same debt of guilt which was borne by the sinner's Sub- 
stitute, Jesus, wall be collected a second time from the 
sinner himself unless he mends his ways. 

But this is not the gospel. The gospel is not the an- 
nouncement of a suspended sentence ; but the good news 
that the sentence has been executed upon a willing Sub- 
stitute, provided by the Judge Himself : that the debt 
has been fully and finally collected from the only begot- 
ten Son of the Father. Those who argue that the gospel 
is only the announcement of a suspended sentence, find 
it necessary either to deny that Christ really suffered the 
penalty under which the sinner would have suffered ; or 
to affirm that Christ's payment of the debt leaves man as 
heavily in debt as if it had not been paid. 

This position makes it necessary to explain away the 
plain and evident meaning of the many scriptures which 
teach that man's debt was transferred to Christ and be- 
came His debt, and that He redeemed man from that 
debt by paying it Himself in His own death. 

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, 
being made a curse for us" (Gal. 3: 13) ; "Who was de- 
livered for our offenses, and was raised again for our 
justification" (Rom. 4:25) ; "Christ also hath once suf- 



122 A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 

fered for sins, the just for the unjust" (1 Pet. 3: 18) ; 
"God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, 
not imputing their trespasses unto them. . . . For He 
hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that 
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" 
(2 Cor. 5 : 19-21) ; ''While we were enemies we were rec- 
onciled to God by the death of His Son" (Rom. 5 : 10. 
R. V.) ; ''The love of Christ constraineth us; because we 
thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died" 
(2 Cor. 5 : 14. R. V.) ; "Who His own self bare our sins 
in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to 
sins, should live unto righteousness : by whose stripes ye 
are healed" ( 1 Pet. 2 : 24) ; "Ye also were made dead to 
the law by the body of Christ" (Rom. 7:4. R. V.) ; "He 
that is dead is freed from sin." Rom. 6 : 7. 

The error of this third position cannot be illustrated 
like the others, but the reader is asked to decide which 
of the following illustrations is the better representation 
of the glorious gospel of the blessed God. 

First, a man is brought before a court charged with 
crime. He is convicted, and sentenced by the judge, who 
immediately suspends the sentence. That is, he tells the 
guilty man that he will not order the sentence executed 
upon him, but will suspend it over his head, and in case 
of good behavior, the sentence will remain suspended, 
but in case his conduct is not good the sentence will be 
executed upon him. 

Second, a man is brought before the court charged 
with crime. He is convicted and sentenced, but the judge 
immediately executes the sentence in full upon his 
only son, who steps forward and requests that the full 
penalty of the crime be transferred from the criminal to 
himself. Which is the better illustration of the good 
news which the ambassador of Christ has to announce to 
every creature? 



A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 



123 



No, the Gospel is not the announcement of a suspended 
sentence, but is the announcement of an executed sen- 
tence, — a sentence already executed on a willing Sub- 
stitute. 

The reader may ask, If this is true, for what sin then 
is the finally impenitent punished? The answer is simply, 
He is punished for neglecting ''so great salvation" ; or, 
having received it, for then rejecting it. 




riGURE 3. 



124 A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 

Let the illustration, Fig. 3, help to make plain the 
blessed truth which reveals the beautiful harmony of all 
the Scriptures bearing on this subject. 

This is intended to illustrate the fact that Christ died 
for all men, but not for all the sins which it is possible 
for sinning man to commit. Instead of drawing the 
crimson line of salvation between the sinners of the world, 
and declaring that those sinners within the line are the 
only ones for whom Christ died, and all the rest are left 
in black despair, the gospel draws the crimson line of 
salvation between the sinning of the world's sinners and 
separates those sins into first, "Sin not unto death" to 
the sinner because of its having already been unto death 
in the death of the sinner's Substitute; and second, "Sin 
unto death," which did not meet its death penalty in the 
death of Christ, and which must be met in the death of 
the sinner himself. 

This draws the line between the sins which our 
Saviour said "shall be forgiven" and those sins which He 
said "shall not be forgiven" ; between those sins for 
which there has been a sacrifice provided, and those sins 
for which "there remaineth no more sacrifice" ; between 
those sins which are wilfully wrought by the sinner in 
his final rejection of salvation, and those sins which he 
committed before his rejection of the heavenly gift. 

All men begin their lives within the crimson circle. 
For where sin abounded grace did much more abound. 
But man's sinning may extend beyond the crimson circle, 
and include that sinning for which there is no sacrifice. 

In the last illustration a line representing such a sin- 
ner's life has been enlarged so that the two classes of 
sins may appear. First, the "Sin not unto death," or that 
sinning which has been unto death in the death of Christ, 
and is therefore covered by the crimson; second, that 
which "Is unto death," or that sinning which has not met 



A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 125 

its penalty in the death of Christ and must therefore be 
met in the death of the sinner himself ; and which in the 
illustration is not covered by the crimson which repre- 
sents the death of Christ. Those lines which do not ex- 
tend beyond the crimson, represent the lives of those 
whose sinning does not extend beyond the sacrifice of 
Christ. 

Of that which we have spoken, this is the sum : Christ 
died for all men, but not for all sin. We have proved 
that, according to the Scriptures, it is possible for the 
sinning of the sinner to pass beyond the crimson line cov- 
ered by the sacrifice of Christ to that sinning for which 
"there remaineth no more sacrifice." 

We have shown that the crimson line of salvation has 
not been drawn between the sinners of the world, saving 
some independently of their choice and faith, and damn- 
ing the rest to hopeless despair; but that it has been 
drawn between the sinning of the despisers of God's 
grace, separating the sins of ignorance and weakness, 
which are "Not unto death" from the sin of final rejec- 
tion of salvation which is "Unto death," and must meet 
its penalty in the death of the rejecter of God's grace. 

Therefore, the Calvinist is right when he teaches that 
the sins for which Christ paid the penalty in His death, 
are paid forever and the same penalty never will be in- 
flicted a second time on the sinner. But he is wrong in 
teaching that it is impossible for the sinner for whom 
Christ died to commit sins not included in that sacrifice. 
He is also wrong in restricting the sacrifice of Christ to 
the few, and leaving the rest of the world in hopeless 
despair. He is wrong in drawing the crimson line be- 
tween sinners when the Scriptures draw it between the 
sins of the sinners. 

The Universalist is right when he says that the sins 
for which Christ paid the penalty in His death are really 



126 A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 

paid, and the sinner cannot be called upon to pay the 
same penalty again without placing God in the position 
of demanding a double payment ; once in the death of 
Christ and again in the death of the sinner for whom 
Christ died. The Universalist is right when he says that 
Christ died for all and not for the few. But he is wrong 
when he teaches that Christ died for all the sinning of 
men. He is right when he draws a crimson line around 
all men; but wrong when he draws that line around all 
the sinning of men. 

The Arminian is right when he insists that Christ 
died for all men, and that whosoever will may come ; and 
those who refuse to come are lost. But he is wrong 
Vvhen he teaches that the sinner is as guilty after Christ 
has died for his sins as if Christ had not died. 

For how can it be that we are as guilty as if Christ 
had not died? Why did He die? What caused His 
death? He did not die for His own sins, and it would 
be impossible for him to die if He did not bear sin. From 
whom, then, came the guilt under which He died? Did 
it not come from us? Since then the guilt which He 
bore was taken from us and laid on Him, how can it 
be that the same guilt remains on us, making us as guilty 
as if He had not borne our guilt? Surely, it is an error 
to teach that we are as guilty after Christ has taken our 
guilt upon Him and paid its penalty in His death, as we 
would have been if He had not died for our sins. 

If we are as guilty after He has borne our guilt, who 
will save us from this guilt that remains ? Christ will not 
die again. And the guilt of sin can be paid only by death ; 
for the wages of sin is death. If we are still guilty and 
Christ will not die again for this guilt, it follows that we 
must meet this guilt ourselves, and as it can be met only 
in death, it follows that we must die for this guilt. If 
this is true, there is no hope for our salvation. 



A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 127 

But it is an error to teach that we are as guilty after 
Christ has taken our guilt, as if He had not suffered 
for us. 

The Arminian is right in opposing the doctrine that 
Christ died for the few only, and he is right in opposing 
the teaching that because Christ died for all therefore all 
must be saved. But he is wrong when he allows a fear 
of these errors to drive him to a denial of the scriptural 
truth that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of 
the law, being made a curse for us. 

He should gladly admit that Christ died for all men, 
and that the sins which were laid on him will not be again 
laid on the sinner. But he should emphasize the gospel 
truth that the sinner in order to realize the benefits of 
this great salvation must accept it by faith. ''Go ye into 
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature : he 
that helieveth and is baptized shall be saved, he that be- 
lieveth not shall be damned." 

But the sinner's faith is not a faith that God is going 
to put his sins on His Son and send Him a sin-bearer to 
Calvary ; but that he has done it, and ''it is finished." If 
the sinner never believes, and is lost at last, it will not 
be because God has revoked what He did for him. For 
how could God revoke the sufferings and death of His 
Son? 

The fact will remain throughout all eternity that God 
paid a world's debt in the death of His Son. But the 
sinner, by refusing so great salvation, makes another 
DEBT^ incurs another guilt, commits another sin which 
was not included in the sins which were laid upon Christ 
and the penalty of which He paid in His death. 

In order to escape the errors of Universalism, there 
is no need to teach that the sins of the world were placed 
on the Lamb of God conditionally, — that He died con- 
ditionally. That is, in case man does not accept the 



128 A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 

sacrifice, God will revoke, or take back, what He has 
done for the sinner. 

Revoke the death of Christ! Impossible! "He hath 
laid on Him the iniquities of us all" ; He bore our sins in 
His own body on the tree. It is too late now to take our 
sins from Him. They have wrought their cruel work; 
they have slain the Lamb of God ; they have met their 
penalty in His death. It is impossible to take back the 
cross of Calvary. 

"It is finished," and this fact will remain throughout 
eternity. "Whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever" 
(Eccl. 3: 14) ; "The gifts and callings of God are with- 
out repentance." Rom. 11:29. 

How could God revoke what He has done for the 
world? Could He deny that His Son bore our sins? 
Could He revoke the agony of the Garden, or the groans 
of the Cross? What do men mean when they tell us 
that His death was "conditional" ? Either He hore our 
sins or He did not hear them. If He bore them, they are 
home, and home forever. 

We need not fear for a moment that this truth will 
lead to the unscriptural doctrines of Universalism, be- 
cause there will remain no guilt under which the finally 
impenitent are lost. Is the neglecting of "so great sal- 
vation" a serious matter? Is the trampling of the Son 
of God a sin worthy of death? Is the counting of the 
Blood of the Covenant whereby we have been sanctified, 
"an unholy thing," a sin worthy of punishment? Is do- 
ing despite to the Spirit of Grace, insultingly rejecting 
the pleadings of the Holy Spirit, a sin of sufficient mag- 
nitude to cause the death of such a sinner? Oh, yes! 
Let us not therefore let a fear of these errors lead us to 
a denial of the atonement, or a narrowing down of the 
glorious gospel of the blessed God. 



A GREAT DIFFICULTY SOLVED 



129 



"Oh, why was He there as the bearer of sin, 

If on Jesus thy guilt was not laid? 
Oh, why from His side flowed the sin-cleansing blood, 
If His dying thy debt has not paid?" 



XXIII 
THE UNPARDONABLE SIN AND THE SECOND DEATH 

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first 
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power" 
(Rev. 20: 6). The term "second death" proves that there 
is a first death. Death is the result of sin, and inasmuch 
as there is a first and second death, there must be a first 
and second sin. What is this second sin which is pun- 
ished by the "second death"? 

Let us illustrate the thought by the debit and credit 
system of ordinary bookkeeping. 



Dr. THE WORLD IN ACCOUNT WITH GOD. 



Cr. 



At Creation. 



By sin. 




Through the fall of Adam the world by its sinning 
contracted a debt with the Government of God which 
could be paid by death only; for the wages of sin is 
death. Now if Christ had not died for the world, the 
world could only have balanced that debt by its own 
death, thus: 

Dr. the WORLD IN ACCOUNT WITH GOD. Cr. 




Account Closed 



130 THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

But when Christ died for our sins, His death was 
entered as a credit in man's favor and the account was 
balanced, — 

Dr. the world IN ACCOUNT WITH GOD. Cr. 



By Sin. 




By Christ's Payment. 




Account Closed 

And thus the first death has been transformed into a 
sleep. ''Who hath abolished death and brought life and 
immortality to light through the Gospel." There is prom- 
ise of an awakening out of death. Now where there is 
a promise of awakening, death becomes a sleep. 

Consequently all, both righteous and wicked, are rep- 
resented as asleep. (See Dan. 12: 2; 1 Thess. 4: 13, 14.) 
To all is promised an awakening in the resurrection. 
"All that are in their graves shall hear His voice, and 
shall come forth ; they that have done good, unto the 
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto 
the resurrection of damnation." John 5 : 28, 29. 

If there were no cross of Calvary there would be no 
resurrection. "If the dead rise not, then is Christ not 
raised" (1 Cor. 15: 16) ; ''As in Adam all die, even so 
in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. 15 : 22. 

A universal resurrection is positive proof that those 
sins which caused the first death have been remitted in 
the death of Christ. If not, there could be no resurrec- 
tion ; for the first sinning would hold the sinner in death. 
"He was delivered for our offences and raised again for 
our justification." The resurrection of Christ is the evi- 
dence that the debt which Christ carried to the cross and 
died to remit, has been remitted in His death. If, there- 
fore, men die the second death, it must be for a second 
sin. 



AND THE SECOND DEATH 



131 



It is impossible to kill a man twice, unless he has 
been delivered from the first death. It is impossible for 
the second death to have power over the sinner, unless 
he be redeemed from the first death through the death 
of Christ. Inasmuch as the second death does have 
power over those who were delivered from the first 
death by the death of Christ, it follows that the second 
death must be the penalty for the second sin which must 
be a sinning which was not remitted in the death of 
Christ. Seeing we have proved that there is a sinning 
not included in the sins laid upon Christ, it follows that 
the second sinning is that sin — the ''sin unto death," 
which did not meet its death penalty in the death of 
Christ, and must meet it in the second death of the sin- 
ner himself. 

Let us see this in an illustration. 

Dr. the world IN ACCOUNT WITH GOD. Cr. 



To Sin. 



Death. By Christ's Payment. Death 



Unpardonable, or 
Second Sin. 



Second 
Death. 



By Sinner's Payment 



Second 
Death. 



Account Closed 

Thus it is clear that the second death is the penalty 
for the second sin, or that sin which was not met in the 
death of Christ. Inasmuch as He will not die again, the 
sinner who commits that second sin must pay the penalty 
in his own death. 

Christ did not die to redeem the sinner from the 
"second death." He died to redeem the world from the 
first sinning: — that sinning which was committed while 
the sinner was enslaved to the sinning nature which was 



132 ' THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

tiansmitted through sinful Adam to all the world, *Tor 
all have sinned." ''By one man sin entered into the 
world" ; "By the trespass of the one the many died" ; 
"By one man's offence death reigned by one" ; "Through 
the one man's disobedience the many were made sin- 
ners." "Ye were redeemed not with corruptible things, 
with silver, or with gold, from your vain manner of life 
handed down from your fathers, but with the precious 
blood as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, 
even the blood of Jesus." 1 Pet. 1 : 18. R. V. 

It was the first death which resulted from the first 
sin of our "First father," which Christ carried to the 
cross and abolished in His death. "Who hath abolished 
death, and brought life and immortality to light through 
the gospel" (2 Tim, 1 : 10). By his sin at creation, Adam 
made the world sinners. Christ, the last Adam, at the 
second beginning, gathered up all the sins of the world 
for which Adam's sin was responsible and carried them 
to the cross, and abolished them in His death, and in 
Himself created a new race of righteous men. "If any 
man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things are 
passed away; behold, they are become new" (2 Cor. 
5: 17. R. V.) ; "For we are His workmanship, created 
in Christ Jesus unto good works." Eph. 2: 10. 

It would be in perfect harmony with the Word of 
God if a crimson line were drawn across the word "died" 
on all the tombstones and monuments in all the white 
city cemeteries of the world; and above this word were 
v/ritten that which in the gospel has superseded it, the 
words, "fallen asleep." 

It was the first sinning of the first sinner, — passing 
on to his posterity, — and the first death bound up in the 
first sin, and which passed upon all men, — 'that was 
abolished on the cross. 

Note how this truth is told in the following scripture : 



AND THE SECOND DEATH 133 

"For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much 
more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of 
the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many. . . . 
So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto 
all men to condemnation ; even so through one act of 
righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justifi- 
cation of life. For as through the one man's disobedience 
the many were made sinners, even so through the obedi- 
ence of the one the many were made righteous. And the 
law came in besides, that the trespass might abound ; but 
where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly." 
Rom. 5:15, 18-20. R. V. 

Thus it is made clear that the debt with which Adam 
burdened the whole world, has been carried to the cross, 
and cancelled in the death of the crucified one. The sec- 
ond death is the punishment for the second sin, — the 
wilful sinning of the sinner after he has come to a 
''knowledge of the truth." It is the wilful sinning of 
the sinner after he has experienced the fulness of the 
power of God to save from sin, when all the saving 
showers and sunshine of God's salvation summer have 
been shed upon him in vain. It is that sinning which is 
represented by the thorns and briers of the neglected 
field, "Whose end is to be burned." Heb. 6:4-8. 

By the sinner's final rejection of salvation from the 
sinning of Adam, which sinning was handed down to 
him in his carnal nature, he endorses that sinning and 
thereby makes it his own sinning. He makes it to be 
the sin of his own free choice in the face of free salva- 
tion : the sin for which there could be no sacrifice pro- 
vided without forever perpetuating sin, and for which 
the second death is the inevitable and everlasting pun- 
ishment. 

The second death is not therefore the punishment of 
the first sin, the sin for which sinning Adam was pri- 



134 THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

marily responsible, but of the second sin, — the deliberate 
sinning of the sinner for which he himself is wholly re- 
sponsible, and not Adam. 

For when the good news is announced to the sinner 
that all his sins which were the result of his enslavement 
to a carnal nature by the sinning of Adam, have been 
remitted in the sacrifice of Christ, and a way provided 
for his escape from that bondage, if he then decides to 
remain in that bondage or deliberately and finally returns 
to it after realizing his freedom, he can no longer blame 
Adam for his sinning nor for his sinful nature. For by 
refusing deliverance, he by his own free choice chooses 
that sinning and that sinful nature and becomes there- 
after alone responsible for his sinning. 

As before proved, God included all the sins resulting 
from the sin of Adam, which included the sinning of his 
posterity through the sinful nature with which he en- 
slaved them, in the sacrifice of His Son, and mercifully 
paid the terrible debt in the death of Christ. "For God 
hath shut up all unto disobedience, that He might have 
mercy upon all. Oh, the depths of the riches, both of 
the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable 
are His judgments, and His ways past tracing out!" 
Rom. 11:32,33. R. V. 

"There is life for a look at the crucified One, 

There is life at this moment for thee; 
Then look, sinner, look unto Him and be saved. 
Unto Him who was nailed to the tree. 

"Oh why was He there as the bearer of sin, 
If on Jesus thy guilt was not laid? 
Oh why from His side flowed the sin-cleansing blood, 
If His dying thy debt has not paid? 

"It is not thy tears of repentance or prayers, 
But the blood that atones for the soul; 
On Him, then, who shed it thou mayest at once 
Thy weight of iniquities roll." 



" THAT HE MIGHT HIMSELF BE JUST" 135 

XXIV 
"THAT HE MIGHT HIMSELF BE JUST " 

Before passing to a further explanation of what con- 
stitutes the unpardonable sin, let us notice the justice of 
God in paying in the death of His Son the debt of the 
world. 

The heading of this chapter is the revised version of 
Rom. 3 : 26, and presents the truth which is found in the 
original, that the gospel not only justifies man, but jus- 
tifies God. Though this truth has been emphasized in 
a previous chapter, it should be referred to again in this 
connection. 

The Lord plainly declares that the children of Adam 
— this takes in all — are not to blame for being born sin- 
ners. ''Through the one man's disobedience the many 
were made sinners." No member of the human family 
born of Adam is responsible for being born a sinner. 
Not one of the victims of Adam's sin was present to 
raise his voice in protest against the disobedience of 
Adam whereby he, a child of Adam, w^as made a sinner. 

He was made a sinner before he was born, and in 
consequence was born a sinner. He did not even have 
an opportunity to choose whether he wished to be born. 
He was given his existence, if not by force, at least so 
freely as to leave him wholly irresponsible for his birth. 
Not only was he given a life for which he was not re- 
sponsible, but he received that life hopelessly mortgaged 
with debt, — a debt which he had no part in contracting, 
but which he is compelled to pay, and which he can pay 
only by forfeiting his life in death. 

Is the lamb to blame for being born a hopeless 
cripple? Is the African infant to blame for the color of 



136 " THAT HE MIGHT HIMSELF BE JUST" 

his skin? The shepherd would be blessed for his mercy 
should he end the life of the mother sheep whose lambs 
were always born crippled, hopeless sufferers. And we 
could bless our God, who is ''too wise to err, too good 
to be unkind," had he brought to an end the life of the 
sinning head of the race in view of the fact that all the 
world would be born hopelessly diseased with a malady 
which doomed them to death. 

But if he permit the parents of the race to live and 
people the earth with slaves of sin, slaves who were made 
such, not by any act of their own, but by the sinning of 
their ancestors, how it does justify God, who thus per- 
mits the world to multiply, — to see Him gather up all 
the sinning which has appeared in Adam's children as 
a result, and lay this terrible load upon His only Son, 
thereby paying the penalty of those sins as freely as they 
had been laid upon them by the hand of their sinning 
ancestor. How this does reveal God's righteousness ! 

And all this infinite sacrifice He made that every 
sinner born into the world might himself have oppor- 
tunity to choose righteousness and life in the place of 
sin and death. In the light of all this, how befitting the 
Father of mercies to freely pay in His Son, — the last 
Adam, — the mortgage of sin and death, which, without 
their consent, the first Adam placed upon the whole 
world ! 

Every sinning soul born of Adam thus set free is 
given opportunity freely to choose between righteousness 
and sin, life and death. And having made such choice, 
no creature in heaven or earth can blame the Creator for 
•the ruin of any son of Adam who was born a sinner as 
the result of God's permitting the sinning head of the 
race to live and people the world with a race of sinners. 
Having refused salvation, the sinner cannot blame either 
Adam or God for his ruin. 



IN THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 137 



XXV 

THE PART THE LAW PLAYS IN THE UNPARDONABLE 

SIN 

"If we sin wilfully after that we have received a 
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sac- 
rifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judg- 
ment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the ad- 
versaries." Heb. 10:26, 27. R. V. 

The divine definition of "sin" is found in 1 Jno. 3 : 4, 
and reads thus : "Whosoever committeth sin transgres- 
seth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law." 
This divine definition placed in the text at the head of 
the chapter would make it read: "If we transgress the 
law wilfully after we have received a knowledge of the 
truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins." 

This does not in any way conflict with the conclusion 
which we have reached that the unpardonable sin is a 
rejection of the gospel. The rejection of the cross of 
Calvary is the unpardonable sin ; but the way the rejecter 
manifests that rejection is by disobedience, by continuing 
in sin, which is the transgression of the Haw. 

The law of God, therefore, plays a vital part in that 
sinning for which there was no sacrifice provided at the 
cross of Calvary. The plan of salvation is a plan to save 
men from sin, — from disobedience, from transgression 
of that law which is described as being "holy, just and 
good." "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall 
save His people from their sins," — save them from the 
transgression of the law. 

All men are born sinners, born with the law of sin 
lurking in their members, born with a "carnal mind/' 
And that "carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is 



138 THE PART THE LAW PLAYS 

not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' 
The work of the gospel is first to show the sinner that 
this carnal mind lives in him, and unless he shall separ- 
ate from it, he is doomed to perish with it. Next, it is 
the work of the gospel to show the way of escape which 
has been provided in the dieath and resurrection of 
Christ ; and next to persuade the sinner to accept that de- 
liverance. This is the plan of procedure as presented in 
Paul's epistle to the Romans. 

One cannot read the seventh and eighth chapters of 
Romans carefully without noticing how sin under its 
various titles is treated, not as a mere thing without 
either intelligence or individuality ; but as a personality, 
whose ''working" (v. 8, ch. 7) ''reviving" (v. 9) "war- 
ring," enslaving (v. 2,3) with bitter enmity against God 
(ch. 8:6), plainly point to that malignant "spirit that 
now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph. 
2:2). In plain words, it is the devil that is behind the 
sinning of the carnal nature, as the following scriptures 
plainly show. 

"Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of 
your father ye will do" (Jno. 8:44) ; "He that commit- 
teth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the 
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was mani- 
fested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 
1 Jno. 3:8. 

Sin is therefore simply Satan at work, — "the spirit 
that now worketh in the children of disobedience." It 
is as impossible to separate disobedience of Gk)d's law 
from the personal working of the spirit of Satan as it 
is to separate true obedience to that law from the per- 
sonal working of the Spirit of God. 

But Satan does not want this fact known. He does 
not want the presence of his spirit in the children of 
disobedience to become known, lest he be cast out. On 



IN THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 139 

the other hand, the God of all grace desires that the 
presence of Satan shall be made known, so that the chil 
dren of disobedience may be led to decide against him 
and obtain deliverance. 

It is the /occ of God which the Spirit of God uses 
to reveal the presence of the enemy in the children of 
disobedience. But when we say the law of God, we do 
not mean something separate from God. We can no 
more conceive of the law of God as being something 
separate from God than we can conceive of the law of 
sin and death as something separate from the spirit of 
Satan. The connection between God and the law of 
God is clearly made in the following scripture : "The car- 
nal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to 
the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). 
Thus it is seen that the law of God and God are placed 
together on the one side, and the carnal mind on the 
other; and that opposition to the law of God is opposi- 
tion to God. 

Let it be repeated, that the law of God (one precept 
of which is, "Thou shalt not covet") is that which, ac- 
cording to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, the Spirit 
uses to discover to the child of disobedience the presence 
of the spirit of Satan. 

It is said that the devil hates holy water, but there 
is no scripture for the statement. There is, however, 
scripture in support of the truth that he hates the holy 
law. And when God would make known to the sinner 
the presence of Satan, he makes known his law, which 
is to Satan like the red rag to the bellowing beast, and 
which stirs him up to activity, and thus discloses his real 
presence and character to the sinner. This truth is told 
in the experience of Paul as related in the 7th of Romans. 

The connection between sin and Satan is established. 
Sin is the working of Satan. Let us now put this defini- 



140 THE PART THE LAW PLAYS 

tion of sin into several passages and see how plain they 
become. 

What shall we say then, Is the law sin or the working 
of Satan? God forbid, nay I had not known sin or the 
working of Satan, except the law had said, thou shalt 
not covet. But sin, Satan, taking occasion by the law 
wrought in me all manner of coveting: for without the 
law the working of Satan was dead. And I was alive 
without the law once, but when the commandment came, 
the working of Satan revived and I died. And the com- 
mandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto 
death. For Satan, taking occasion by the command- 
ment, beguiled me, and by it slew me. So that the law 
is holy and the commandment is holy, and just and good. 
Was then that which is good made death unto me? God 
forbid. But the working of Satan, that it might appear 
to be the working of Satan, by working death in me by 
that which is good; that through the commandment the 
working of Satan might become exceeding Satanic. For 
the law is spiritual ; but I am carnal, sold under the work- 
ing of Satan. 

When, therefore, the child of disobedience discovers 
by means of God's law, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, 
that he is harboring in his members none other than the 
lawless spirit of Satan, and comes to see God's holiness 
through the law, and the sinful lusting and the general 
lawlessness of Satan by the same law, he is then called 
upon to choose between the tw^o masters. Upon this 
choice depends his destiny. 

If he takes sides against the holy law in favor of the 
carnal mind, he thereby takes sides against God in favor 
of Satan. When he learns that his transgressions of the 
law caused the death of God's only begotten Son, if he 
then deliberately and finally decides to continue to trans- 
gress the law he thereby in his heart crucifies the Son 



IX THE rXPARDO.WlBLi: SIX 141 

of God afresh. The sins which he now commits are 
transgressions of the law in view of the fact that sin 
caused the suffering and death of the Son of God. They 
are a trampling of the Son of God under foot, and a 
counting of the blood of the covenant, — Christ's blood, — 
whereby He was sanctified, an unholy thing, and a heap- 
ing of insult on the Spirit of Grace. 

This is the sinning which "shall not be forgiven," 
which is "unto death," for which no sacrifice was pro- 
vided in the sacrifice of Christ, and for which no sacrifice 
could be provided without forever perpetuating sin. As 
before shown, if such sacrifice had been provided for 
such sinning — such law-breaking — the devil and his 
angels and all the wicked men of earth could demand de- 
liverance from punishment while continuing to defy God 
and war against His kingdom. This is the unpardonable 
sin, a description of which appears in the following scrip- 
ture: 

'Tf we sin wilfully after that we have received the 
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice 
for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment 
and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under 
two or three witnesses : of how much sorer punishment, 
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trod- 
den imder foot the Son of God, and hath counted the 
blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an 
unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of 
Grace? For we know Him that hath said. Vengeance 
belongeth unto me, I will recompence, saith the Lord. 
And again, The Lord shall judge His people. It is a 
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." 
Heb. 10: 26-3 L 

A comparison is here made between two kinds of law^ 
breaking or sinning. One is the wilful transgression of 



142 THE PART THE LAW PLAYS 

the law in the presence of the commandment carved on 
stone, the other is the wilful transgression of that law in 
the presence of the sprinkled blood of the crucified One. 
In other words, that first sin was a wilful transgression 
of a righteous law. The second is not only a wilful 
transgression of that righteous law, but also a wilful 
trampling under foot of the body and blood of the Son 
of God. 

''Do we then make void the law through faith? God 
forbid: Yea, we estabhsh the law" (Rom. 3: 31). Those, 
therefore, who use the Cross of Christ as a justification 
for continuing in sin — continuing to transgress any part 
of God's holy law, the disobedience of which on the part 
of a sinning world caused the death of the Lamb of 
God, — are in danger (if they are doing it in the face of 
light) of committing that sin for which there is no sac- 
rifice. 

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound ? God 
forbid." "Shall we sin, [transgress the law], because 
we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." 
If we do thus transgress the law, we will place ourselves 
outside the provisions of the sacrifice of Christ; because 
that sacrifice was not made in behalf of such transgres- 
sion. 

In the sixth chapter of Romans, from which these 
last scriptures were quoted, Paul introduces the "sin unto 
death" in his warning against perverting the grace of 
God into a license to continue in sin or the transgression 
of the law. 

After showing that where sin abounded, grace did 
much more abound, and as a result of that abounding 
grace, men were not under the law but under grace, he 
then asks, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may 
abound? God forbid." "Shall we sin because we are not 
under the law, but under grace?" and then tells us that 



[N THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 143 

upon this decision depends our final destiny. If we will- 
ingly decide to choose sin in the face of this abounding 
grace, this choice will constitute the *'sin unto death." 
"Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under 
grace? God forbid. Know ye not that to whom ye 
yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to 
whom ye obey, whether of "sin unto death, or of obedi- 
ence unto righteousness?" 

This scripture plainly tells what is the "sin unto 
death" of which John speaks, and also the sinning wil- 
fully or willingly, mentioned in Heb. 10:26. The sin 
unto death appears, then, a free and final decision to be 
and remain a sinner after one comes to a knowledge of 
the abounding grace of God given freely to save from 
sin. 

It is also made plain that sinning ignorantly is not 
the unpardonable sin. Neither is that sinning unpardon- 
able which is committed before one comes to a knowledge 
of the abounding grace of God. But that sinning is un- 
pardonable which involves a final rejection of the grace 
of God and a free choosing to continue a servant of sin. 

The unpardonable sin, therefore, is a sin against the 
gospel, a rejection of salvation through the cross of Cal- 
vary. 

It is for this reason that Adam's sin was not the un- 
pardonable sin. He did not sin against the gospel. The 
gospel had not yet been made known to him. He sinned 
willingly, but that does not alone constitute the unpar- 
donable sin. In order for him to commit the unpardon- 
able sin, he must have sinned willingly after he had come 
to a knowledge of the salvation provided in the death of 
Christ ; he must have chosen sinning in the place of sal- 
vation, with the knowledge that sinning caused the death 
of the only begotten Son of God. 

But it may be asked, is this the only sin which can 



144 THE LAW AND THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 

cause the ruin of the sinner? Must every man before 
he can be lost, experience the fulness of God's salvation ? 
No; this is not the only sin which ruins men. ''How 
shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation." 

It is not necessary for men to accept salvation and 
then reject it in order to be lost. If they continue to 
neglect salvation which is offered them, and which the 
Spirit impresses them that they need, — ^this neglect will 
result in their ruin as surely as if they had accepted and 
then rejected. The man who was washed overboard by 
a heavy sea and has permitted the lifeline to pass by 
unheeded, as surely sins against his life as the man who 
grasped the line and then deliberately cast it from him. 

Doubtless many more will find themselves lost at last 
through neglecting to be saved than there will be who 
fully accepted the gospel and then rejected it because the 
way was too thorny, or the path too narrow and unpopu- 
lar. 



XXVI 

LIBERTY IS NOT LICENSE 

Before dismissing the subject of the unpardonable 
sin, let us view it from the standpoint of the illustration 
found in Chapter IX. 

But shall we sin because we are not under law, but 
under grace? Inasmuch as sin is defined by the Holy 
Spirit ( 1 John 3:4) to be the transgression of the law, 
the above question dictated by the Holy Spirit through 
the Apostle Paul is equivalent to this : Shall we trans- 
gress the law because we are not under the law? God 
forbid. That we may see the wickedness of such a per- 
version of the Scriptures, let us return to the parable of 
Chapter IX. 



LIBERTY IS NOT LICENSE 145 

On the morrow after the release of John Borninsin, 
he is met by one of his old comrades in crime, and ac- 
cording to the parable, the following conversation takes 
place : 

Tom Carnalmind — "Well, John, you are a lucky chap. 
I thought you would surely swing this time. But what 
surprises me more is that the governor has actually placed 
his fortune at the disposal of the Judge on your behalf, 
so that when you go house-breaking and get caught, they 
can't get you into prison. What glorious liberty from the 
law ! I wish I were in your boots. It must seem good to 
be free from that troublesome law. It is that law that 
has made us all the trouble, and I have always known 
that if it were not for the law, we would enjoy glorious 
liberty. Now, John, if you are wise, you will use this 
glorious, abounding grace to gather in a pile for a rainy 
day." 

A bystander, Mr. Spiritualmind — '*But, John, do you 
understand your freedom from the law in the way Tom 
Carnalmind views it? Are you going to continue in trans- 
gression of the law that grace may abound? Are you 
going to transgress the law because you are not under 
the law, but under grace ?" 

John Borninsin — "God forbid. I do not understand 
that His Excellency has deposited his fortune to my 
credit with the Judge to save me from the penalty of 
the transgression of the law, because he wants me to be 
a law-breaker, but that I might be saved from the results 
of my law-breaking, until I should become a law-abiding 
citizen." 

Mr. Spiritualmind — "That is right, John. You have 
clearly discerned His Excellency's purpose." 

Tom Carnalmind — "What a foolish fellow to go and 
put yourself under law again. Why don't you take ad- 
vantage of your liberty? You are not under law, but 
under grace." 
















to 



e 

-s 



LIBERTY IS NOT LICENSE 147 

John Borninsin — ''But my freedom from the law is 
not a freedom to transgress the law ; but a freedom from 
the penalty of the transgression of the law, that I may 
have opportunity to learn to be obedient to the law." 

Tom Carnalmind — "I don't see it that way. I con- 
sider that the object of the deposit of grace is to make 
void the law, so you can transgress it freely without be- 
ing punished; and I think you are very foolish to put 
yourself under law again." 

John Bornmsin — "But I understood from His Lord- 
ship, the Judge, that no part of the deposit of grace was 
for wilful transgression of the law, but only such trans- 
gressions as I might commit in my weakness and ignor- 
ance, while I was learning how to be obedient. I was 
told plainly that if I transgressed wilfully, that is, if 1 
deliberately chose to be a law-breaker, after I had come 
to a knowledge of the purpose and power of the grace, 
there would remain no part of His Excellency's deposit 
of grace to save me from my transgressions. And as 
ignorant as I am, I can plainly see that this is reasonable. 
If the deposit of grace was for the purpose of keeping 
me out of prison in order that I might continue my old 
life of lawlessness, that would make both His Lordship 
and His Excellency to be friends of lawlessness." 

On the morrow, Mr. Spiritualmind meets John Born- 
insin in charge of a policeman, and the following con- 
versation takes place: 

Mr. Spiritualmind — "Officer, has John transgressed 
again, after all that has been done to save him from the 
penalty of his law-breaking?" 

Officer — "I am sorry to say, he has." 

Mr. Spiritualmind — "How could you do it, John, after 
all the grace manifested for you?" 

John — "I did not transgress wilfully. I was overcome 
in a moment of weakness and unwatch fulness. And I 



148 LIBERTY IS NOT LICENSE 

Sim more sorry than I can express ; and it is in my heart 
to transgress no more." 

Mr. S piritualmind — ''Officer, where are you taking 
John?" 

OMcer — "To the Judge, sir, to be punished." 

Mr. S piritualmind — "What are you going to do, 
John?" 

John — "I am going boldly to my throne of grace. It 
is this same Judge who has the grace in keeping for me." 

Mr. S piritualmind — "The law was our schoolmaster 
to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith ; 
but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a 
schoolmaster. Yes, the officer of the law is only taking 
you where the grace is deposited." 

Reader, was the deposit of grace for the purpose of 
perpetuating lawlessness? Was the governor so in sym- 
pathy with law-breaking that he would sacrifice his for- 
tune to perpetuate it? No, no. He gave his fortune to 
save the man's life in order to give him an opportunity 
to leave off his law-breaking. If the law-breaker never 
becomes law-abiding, will not the sacrifice have been made 
in vain? If the criminal continues his career of lawless- 
ness to the last of his life, will not the deposit of grace 
have been made in vain so far as the young man is con- 
cerned? True, it will have revealed the graciousness of 
the governor, and the ingratitude of the criminal, but it 
will have been made in vain so far as the salvation of the 
lawless one is concerned. 

That father whose effort for the reformation of his 
wayward son never results in anything more than follow- 
ing him from place to place and paying his fines and 
saving him from prison and the gallows, is a sorrowful 
failure. If the son dies in this reprobate condition, all 
the world would pronounce that father's effort to reform 
his son as a failure, so far as the reformation of the son 



LIBERTY IS NOT LICENSE 149 

is concerned. It may be no fault of the father any more 
than a lost sinner indicates a fault on God's part, but so 
far as the wayward son is concerned, the grace has been 
manifest in vain. 

In like manner, if God's deposit of grace on behalf of 
the transgressor of His law, does no more than per- 
petuate the lawless life of the transgressor, it will have 
been made in vain so far as the lawless one is concerned. 
It will have served to reveal the mercy and love of God. 
and the ingratitude of the transgressor, but it will have 
been spent in vain so far as the sinner is concerned. The 
object of God's grace was not that we might ''continue 
in sin, that grace may abound," but ''that the righteous- 
ness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not 
after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8 : 4. 

This illustration was used on one occasion, in conver- 
sation with a law-made-void-by-faith advocate, and the 
man, feeling the force of the illustration against his no- 
law theory, attempted to parry its force. He said : "Your 
illustration breaks down in one important point. Your 
governor is not able to give his life, like Christ, to be the 
life of the law-breaker." 

"True," was the reply. "But if he had been able to 
give his life, would the life that he gave have been a law- 
keeping Ufe, like the governor's, or a law-breaking life 
such as the lawless one already had?" 

To this searcHing question the antinomian had no 
reply. Just as surely as the governor was a law-abiding 
citizen, so surely would the life which he would give to 
the lawless one, were he able, have been a law-keeping 
life. To sacrifice his fortune to save the lawless one from 
his transgressions of the law, and then give him a life 
which would continue to transgress the law, is too un- 
reasonable to contemplate. 

But it is still more unreasonable and unscriptural to 



150 LIBERTY IS NOT LICENSE 

believe that God would give His only Son to die on Cal- 
vary to save man from the results of his law-breaking, 
and then, when it is in His power to give him a new 
life, He should give him a life which would continue in 
transgression of that law. The thought is too absurd to 
entertain for a moment. Such a position would put the 
holy life of God against His holy law. It puts God in 
the position of sacrificing His Son to save man from the 
death which is his just due as the result of his transgres- 
sion of God's law, and then giving the man a life which 
v/ould continue in everlasting transgression of His law. 

No, no ! Just as surely as an unpardonable sin would 
be committed against the abounding grace of the gov- 
ernor if the young transgressor had determined to use 
the governor's deposit of grace to continue his life of 
law-breaking, just so surely does the sinner today com- 
mit the unpardonable sin when he transgresses the law 
of God wilfully after he has come to a knowledge of the 
truth concerning the purposes and power of the grace of 
God, and uses that grace as an opportunity to continue in 
transgression of the law, for he thereby tramples upon 
the Son of God, counts the blood of the covenant where- 
by he was sanctified from his law-breaking, an unholy 
thing, and does despite to the Spirit of grace. Heb. 
10:26-29. 

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 
God forbid." "What then? Shall we sin [transgress 
the law] because we are not under the law, but under 
grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye 
yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to 
whom ye oj^ey : whether of sin [transgression of the law] 
unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Rom. 
6:1,15,16. 



SERVING IN NEWNESS OF LIFE 151 



XXVII 

SERVING IN NEWNESS OF LIFE 

An incident occurred in slavery days that beautifully 
illustrates salvation as the gift of God and the saved 
man's works as the fruit of love. 

The scene is a southern slave market. The auctioneer 
is selling a chain-gang lot of colored humanity as if they 
were so many head of cattle or horses or mules. Hus- 
band is being sold and separated from the wife, wife 
from the husband, children from their mothers, mothers 
from their children. 

Presently there is placed upon the auction block a 
giant, his finely formed features, his refined and intelli- 
gent face attract the attention of the crowd. 

The auctioneer eyes him up and down, then turns to 
the people and says : 

''Here is a fine specimen of the race. This man stands 
six feet four, in his bare feet; he weighs two hundred 
and twenty pounds, — all bone, muscle and sinew. He is 
only twenty-four years old. What am I bid for the man ?'' 

Mr. Brown — I bid nine hundred dollars. 

Auctioneer — ^Nine hundred dollars I am bid! Nine 
hundred dollars ! Going at nine hundred ! Gentlemen, 
he is worth twice the money. 

Mr. G. — One thousand. 

A. — One thousand is bid! One thousand dollars. 
Make it eleven hundred, Mr. Brown. 

Mr. B. — Eleven hundred. 

Mr. G. — Twelve hundred. 

A. — That is right, gentlemen, keep it going. Here 
is a fine prize for the man who has the nerve to pay 



152 SERVING IN NEWNESS OF LIFE 

the price. Twelve hundred dollars ! Going at twelve 
hundred. Make it thirteen, Mr. Brown. 

Mr. B. — Thirteen hundred. 

Mr. G. — Fourteen hundred. 

A. — Mr. Grace bids fourteen hundred! Only four- 
teen hundred dollars for this handsome prize! 

Colored Man. — Gentlemen, don't waste your money 
on me. I am not worth fourteen cents to any man. I 
have worked my last hour as a slave. You may flog or 
starve or hang — I covet death ! I want to die ! But work 
as a slave, I never will — no, not for an hour! 

The calm but defiant decision pictured in his face, the 
firmness in his tone, the fire that flashed from his eyes 
stunned the auctioneer for a moment. Recovering, he 
said: 

''Gentlemen, pay no attention to his talk ; you can take 
all this out of him in fifteen minutes with a good black 
snake. Go on with your bidding, gentlemen. 

"Mr. Grace bids fourteen hundred dollars ! Make it 
fifteen, Mr. Brown! No? What, afraid of the man? 
Going at fourteen hundred dollars ! Are you all done ? 
Fourteen hundred dollars, once — fourteen hundred dol- 
lars, twice — third and last call — sold to Mr. Grace for 
fourteen hundred dollars." 

The man steps down from the block and with Mr. 
Grace walks away from the crowd. Drawing his check- 
book from his pocket Mr. Grace begins writing a check 
for the price of his man. 

Colored Man — Mr. Grace, don't you pay fourteen hun- 
dred dollars for me. You have bought a dead man. I 
will die willingly, yes, gladly, but I will never work an 
hour as your slave. I give you this final warning, don't 
pay fourteen hundred dollars for a dead man. 

Mr. Grace continues to write the check, and when 
finished, he hands it to a messenger who carries it to the 



SERl'ING IX NEWNESS OF LIFE 153 

former owner. Then addressing the colored man, he 
said : 

"Sam, you are a free man. I bought you to set you 
free. You are not my slave, you are your own free man. 
ril take those handcuffs off." 

The colored man was staggered and stunned by this 
sudden announcement. He stood speechless, startled, 
trembling in every limb. 

Recovering his speech, he said : 

'*Mr. Grace, do you mean that you paid fourteen hun- 
dred dollars of your good money to set this poor man 
free?" 

"That is what I said and that is what I mean. All 
the time you, as my enemy, were hurling your defiance, 
1, as your friend, was purchasing your freedom." 

Colored Man — O Mr. Grace, / hve you! I'll work 
for you just as long as I live. Let me go home with you. 
I want to show you that underneath this colored breast 
there beats a heart that can feel and respond to love like 
yours. Let me go home with you. I want to work for 
you forever because I love you. 

Mr. Grace — All right, Sam, come along, but remem- 
ber, you are not my slave nor do I want you to work to 
pay for your freedom ; that is the free gift of my grace 
to you. 

Colored Man — Oh, I understand. I won't try to pay 
for it, but I will try to show how I appreciate your gift 
by my labor of love. 

Reader, do you see it? Do you see the true motive 
for commandment-keeping? Do you see the only place 
for works in the plan of salvation? 

This is what the Apostle Paul saw and this is what 
so mightily moved his heart to go to the ends of the 
earth crying, "By grace are ye saved through faith ; and 
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of 



SERVING IN NEWNESS OF LIFh 155 

works, lest any man should boast. For we are His work- 
manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which 
God foreordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 
2:8-10. 

This is the only place for commandment-keeping in 
the plan of redemption, the only place in the preaching 
of redemption or in the redeemed man's life. 

*'We love Him because He first loved us.'' "If ye 
love Me, keep My commandments." "This is the love 
of God that we keep His commandments, and His com- 
mandments are not grievous." 1 John 4:19; John 14:15; 
1 John 5 : 2. 

"He that saith I know Him and keepeth not His 
commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him." 
1 John 2:4. 



XXVIII 

"DOTH NOT THE SON BEAR THE INIQUITY OF THE 

FATHER? " 

No, no ! Praise the Lord ! The glorious gospel of 
the blessed God answers the above question with a prompt 
and positive. No ! 

"The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying : 
What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the 
land of Israel, saying. The fathers have eaten sour 
grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I 
live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any 
more to use this proverb in Israel." 

"Yet say ye, Why ? Doth not the son bear the iniquity 
of the father? When the son hath done that which is 
lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes and hath 
done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it 
shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the 



156 ''DOTH NOT THE SON BEAR 

father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the 
son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon 
him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon 
him." Ezek. 18:1-3, 19,20. 

The Lord hath sworn by His life that the son shall 
not die because he was born a wicked son of a wicked 
father, and that the father, who received a sinful nature 
from his father, shall not die because he transmitted that 
sinful nature to his son. The son shall not die for his 
sins which he committed because he was born a son of 
a wicked father ; but for his own sins. The father shall 
not die for the sins which he committed as a result of 
receiving from his father a sinning nature, nor for the 
sins which he committed in the sinning life which he 
transmitted to his son. 

But have not the fathers sinned in the sinful life 
which they transmitted to their sons, just as the parent 
apple tree bears apples in the baby tree which springs 
from its roots? Yes. And have not sons sinned in the 
sinful life which they received from their fathers, just as 
the infant apple tree bears fruit with the life received 
from the parent root? Yes. And is not the wages of 
sin death? Yes. Why, then, do not the father and son 
die for this inherited sinning? Because of the cross of 
Calvary. 

This same theme is dealt with by the Lord through 
the prophet Jeremiah. The same fatalistic proverb was 
current in the time of Jeremiah ; the same charge was 
made of injustice against God in punishing the son for 
the sin of the father. But, through Jeremiah, the Lord 
again denies the doctrine that He punishes men for the 
sins which they commit as slaves of a sinful nature which 
they inherited from their fathers. And in this denial the 
Lord brings us to the cross of Calvary. In fact, it is 
through the cross of Calvary that the Lord is able to 



THE IMQUITY OF THE FATHERf" \S7 

say that the son shall not die for the sins committed in 
his sinful nature inherited from a sinful father. Let us 
study this blessed gospel through the prophet Jeremiah. 

*'In those days they shall say no more. The fathers 
have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set 
on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity: 
every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be 
set on edge." Jer. 31 : 29, 30. 

The meaning of this proverb in the mind of the people 
was that the son was punished for the sins of the father. 
The father ate, and the son suffered the result. The 
father sinned, and the son died in consequence. But in 
saying that the son was made a sinner by the sinning 
father, did they not state a Bible truth? Most certainly 
they did. Paul states the same truth thus : "By one man's 
disobedience, the many were made sinners." 

Is it not also true that the wages of sin is death, and 
that therefore one man's sin brought death upon all his 
sons ? Yes ; for the same scripture says, ''By one man 
sin entered into the world, and death by sin." Rom. 5 : 12. 

Consequently when they said, ''The fathers have eaten 
a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge," 
or, in plain words, the fathers have sinned, and we, their 
sons, must suffer in consequence, they were speaking the 
truth // there were no cross of Calvary. 

But the Lord promises to stop this saying. He prom- 
ises to do that which shall leave no occasion for this 
grave charge of injustice against Him. "As I live, saith 
the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to 
use this proverb in Israel." Here the Lord swears by 
His life that He will not punish the son for the sins of 
the father. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son 
shall not bear the iniquity of the father." Ezek. 18 : 3, 20. 

But if the son does not die for the sins which he has 
committed in his father, with the life which he drew as 



158 "DOTH NOT THE SON BEAR 

a shoot from the roots of his father, then some other son 
must die, for, "The wages of sin is death," and, "With- 
out shedding of blood there is no remission" of sins. 

Before going farther, let us stop to emphasize the 
fact that, without the Lamb of God who taketh away the 
sin of the world, the proverb of the people, that the son 
must suffer for the sins of the father, was a terrible truth. 
As stated before, we did not make ourselves sinners. I 
did not make myself a sinner. Your sins which you com- 
mitted did not make you a sinner. "By one man's dis- 
obedience, the many were made sinners." Your sinning 
did not make you a sinner. Reader, you sinned because 
you were born a sinner. 

The crab-apples on a crab-apple tree did not make it 
a crab-apple tree. It was a crab-apple tree years before 
any apples appeared. It was a crab-apple tree because it 
was born from a crab-apple seed. It bore crab-apples 
simply as a result of having been born of a crab-apple 
seed. 

In like manner our sinning did not make us sinners. 
We were sinners before we sinned. We were sinners 
because we were born of sinful seed, because we sprang 
from the root of Adam. Just as all crab-apple trees 
sprang from the first crab-apple seed, so all sinners sprang 
from the first sinful seed, — sinful Adam. 

It was father Adam's eating that set the world's teeth 
on edge. It was Adam's transgression which made a 
world of transgressors. When Adam sinned, all the 
world sinned, because all the world were in the loins of 
Adam when Satan met him. Therefore when the people 
said that the son bore the iniquity of the fathers and 
must die for the iniquities of the fathers, they told the 
truth, — unless the Creator shall redeem the son from the 
sinning of the sinful nature inherited from the father. 

When, therefore, the God of all grace swore by His 



THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHER?" 159 

life that He would not punish the son for the sinning 
received from the father, He was preaching the precious 
promises of the new covenant. 

It will interest the reader if he has not noted it be- 
fore, to observe that this scripture which we have been 
studying, and from which we have just drawn this blessed 
gospel conclusion, is but the preamble of the new cove- 
nant. You may not have connected these two things be- 
fore, but they are certainly parts of one gospel whole; 
for it is by the new covenant that the Lord saves the son 
from the penalty of the sins which he has committed in 
his father. It is by the new covenant that He puts His 
Son in the place of earth's sinning sons, and then lays on 
Him the iniquity of us all. It is through the new cove- 
nant that He gathers up all the iniquities committed by 
the first Adam in the lives of all His children, — all the 
world, — and puts those sins on His Lamb, the Lamb of 
God, who taketh away the sin of the world. 



XXIX 

"VISITING THE INIQUITIES OF THE FATHERS UPON 

THE CHILDREN" 

At this point the reader may remember the statement 
found in the second commandment, a part of which con- 
stitutes the heading of this chapter, and wonder how the 
sworn statement of God that He would not punish the 
son for the sins of the father, is to be harmonized with 
this statement. 

Whether we can see the harmony or not, the harmony 
exists, for God cannot lie. What He says in the second 
commandment He will do, that He will surely do. And 
what He says, through Jeremiah and Ezekiel, He will not 
do, that He certainly will not do. 



160 "VISITING THE INIQUITIES OF 

Let us now look carefully at the statement of God in 
the second commandment. It does not read, "Visiting 
the iniquities of the fathers that hate me upon the chil- 
dren unto the third and fourth generation." It does 
read, ''Visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the 
children unto the third and fourth generation of them 
that hate me." 

It' is the third and fourth generation of children who 
hate God that are visited with the iniquities of the fathers. 
God does not visit the iniquities of the fathers upon any 
generation of children which does not hate Him, but only 
on the generation of children which hate Him. 

But the reader may say that while this is true, still 
God does visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the sons 
who hate Him. Yes, He does ; but He does not punish 
any son for any sin of the father which that son does not 
himseDf commit. It is because the God-hating son him- 
self recommits the sin of his God-hating father, that he 
is punished, and for no other reason. 

Just as surely as God has sworn by His life, "The 
son shall not bear the iniquity of the father," so surely 
the Lord will not visit any iniquities of the fathers upon 
the sons, except those iniquities which the God-hating 
sons shall themselves re-enact, with their own chosen 
hateful hearts, and thus make their own personal sins. 
That this is true is made very clear by our Lord in pre- 
dicting the punishment that was to fall upon the Jews of 
that generation. Upon that generation He said should 
"come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from 
righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias." 

Certainly this is as strong a statement as is found in 
the second commandment. In fact, it is the same state- 
ment intensified. In it the Lord Jesus says in substance 
that all the sins of the persecuting fathers from the days 



THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN'- 161 

of righteous Abel to the days of Zacharias were to be 
visited upon their children of that generation. 

Now that we have a statement of the Lord exactly 
similar to His statement in the second commandment, let 
us hear Him explain His second statement ; for in ex- 
plaining the second statement He will explain the first. 
Remember, we said that the only iniquities of the fathers 
which would be visited upon the sons were those iniquities 
of the fathers which the sons should re-enact by their 
own wilful sinning, and thus make them their own sins. 
This is the meaning which the Lord Himself gives to 
His terrible promise to visit all the iniquities of all the 
fathers upon that generation. 

The measure of the fathers' sins was not yet full and 
could not be visited upon the sons of that generation, 
who had not committed those sins. The measure of their 
fathers' sins stood waiting to he filled. Hence the Lord 
said, "Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers." It 
was the sins which the sons were yet to commit as a re- 
sult of their rejection of Christ that would refill the meas- 
ure of their fathers' sins. 

That this is the truth is clearly stated by our Lord, as 
follows : "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers." 
**Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise 
men, and scribes : and some of them ye shall kill and 
crucify ; and some of them shall ye scourge in your syna- 
gogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon 
you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the 
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of 
Zacharias, son of Barechias, whom ye slew between the 
temple and the altar. Verily, I say unto you. All these 
things shall come upon this generation." Matt. 23 : 32-36. 

Notice, the Lord does not say they have committed 
all these sins of their fathers, but that in continuing in 
their fathers' work of killing the prophets they would 



162 '^VISITING THE INIQUITIES OF 

commit those sins. How would they commit them ? By 
continuing to do the things which their fathers did, they 
would thereby endorse their fathers' iniquities. And the 
iniquities which they endorse, in heart they recommit. 
Their future sinning, in view of the light which they 
had and would receive, would be so aggravated as to in- 
clude the sins of their fathers. Their future sinning 
would therefore be the filling up of the measure of their 
fathers, that is, a re-enacting of all those sins, — making 
all those sins their own sins. 

But let it be borne in mind that these sinning chil- 
dren are not to be punished for the sins of their fathers 
which they never committed, but for those sins of their 
fathers which they recommitted and thereby made their 
own sins. 

It is in this sense, and in this sense alone, that the sin- 
ner is punished for sins which he committed in his weak- 
ness and ignorance, — sins which were atoned for by the 
sacrifice of Christ. When the sinner continues in those 
sins after he comes to a knowledge of the truth that 
Christ bore them, he endorses those sins which have been 
thus borne, and thereby re-enacts them in heart as his 
own wilful sins. 

But bear in mind, he is not punished under the guilt 
of those sins whose guilt was laid upon Christ; but for 
the sins re-enacted after they had once been borne, — 
after they had once crucified the Son of God. Just as 
the generation to whom Christ was speaking was not 
punished for the sins of their fathers which they, the 
children, never committed, but for those sins of their 
fathers which they re-committed and the guilt of which 
they thereby incurred as their own guilt; just so the sin- 
ner is not punished for sins which have already met their 
punishment in the sinner's Substitute, but for a wilful 
re-enactment of those sins. 



THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN ' 163 

A person would not be held morally responsible for 
thefts committed while temporarily insane. lUit after he 
was delivered from that weakness of mind, if he did not 
repudiate those acts, but justified them by continuing in 
them, he would thereby endorse them, and make himself 
morally responsible for all his acts done in that time of 
weakness and ignorance. In like manner the sinner is 
not punished for sins committed in ignorance and weak- 
ness, because those sins have met their punishment in his 
Substitute, he is punished for a continuance in those sins 
after he comes to a knowledge of the truth which de- 
livers him from them, for by continuing in them he en- 
dorses them and thereby makes them his own. 

In like manner the unmerciful servant in the parable 
of Matthew 18, was turned over to the tormenters, not 
for his former debts, for all those debts had been for- 
given, but for what he did as a forgiven debtor. For in 
that one unmerciful act there was involved and incurred 
all the guilt which had been incurred by his former for- 
given debts. It was for this one unmerciful act that he 
was punished, and not for the debts which had been for- 
given. 

"Ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with 
silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed 
down [inherited] from your fathers: but with the prec- 
ious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without 
spot, even the blood of Christ." 1 Pet. 1 : 18, 19. (R. V.) 

Christ has, therefore, redeemed us by His blood from 
the sins of the sinful nature "handed down," that is, in- 
herited, from our first father — Adam. With this agree 
the words of the Lord through the Apostle Paul, as 
follows : 

"For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned 
through the one; much more shall they that receive the 
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign 



164 "VISITING THE INIQUITIES OF THE FATHERS" 

in life through the one, even Jesus Christ. So, then, as 
through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to 
condemnation ; even so through one act of righteousness 
the free gift came unto all men to justification of life. 
For as through the one man's disobedience the many 
were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the 
one shall the many be made righteous." Rom. 5: 17-19. 
(R. V.) 



XXX 

THE PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY IN THE NEW 

COVENANT 

In the ninth and tenth chapters of Hebrews the ser- 
vant of the Lord contrasts that which has been accom- 
plished by the new covenant with that which has been 
accomplished by the old. His conclusions are stated thus : 

"Christ . . . through His own blood, entered in 
once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal 
redemption." ''Once at the end of the ages hath He been 
manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." 
*'By which will [the will of God] we have been sanctified 
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once 
for all." "But He, when He had offered one sacrifice 
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. . . 
for by one offering He hath perfected forever them that 
are sanctified." Heb. 9: 12, 26; and 10: 10, 14. (R. V.) 

Having thus witnessed to the finished work of Christ, 
the apostle brings forth the testimony of the Holy Spirit 
to bear witness to the same blessed truth in the following 
words : 

"And the Holy Ghost also beareth witness to us : for 
after He hath said, This is the covenant that I will make 
with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put 



IN THE NEW C0VEN4NT 165 

my laws on their heart, and upon their mind also will I 
write them ; then saith He, And their sins and their 
iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remis- 
sion of these is, there is no more offering for sin/' Heb. 
10:15-18. (R. V.) 

The new covenant is here quoted to prove that the 
promise of God to remit sins and to remember them no 
more, has been fulfilled. For just as surely as there is 
no more offering for sin, just so surely has the w^hole 
world obtained remission of sins in that one offering. It 
is by this one offering that all the sinning sons of sinful 
Adam have been pardoned and saved from the iniquities 
which they committed through the sinful eating of their 
sinful father Adam. 

But does this not lead to universalism ? No; for we 
have before proved that it is possible for the sons of 
Adam to sin wilfully, — to sin on their own responsi- 
bility, — "to crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh" ; 
to eat of the sour grapes themselves outside of Adam's 
eating; to commit iniquity on their own initiative. It is 
for these iniquities that the son will die. "Every one 
shall die for his own iniquity. Every man that eateth 
the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge." Thus it 
is plainly declared that the son must himself eat before 
the Lord will pronounce over him the penalty for trans- 
gression. "As I live, saith the Lord, ye shall not have 
occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel." 

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not 
bear the iniquities of the father, neither shall the father 
bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the 
righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the 
wicked shall be upon him." Ezek. 18 : 20. 

But how can the promises of the new covenant be ac- 
complished as these scriptures declare, when at the death 
of Christ all who were still unborn were included in those 



166 THE PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY 

promises? Besides, how can it be that the promises of 
the new covenant are fulfilled when one of them promises 
to write the law upon the heart of all. Again, do all from 
the least to the greatest know the Lord ? 

Whether we can understand or not, makes no differ- 
ence, it is a fact. The facts are, the scriptures present 
the covenant as made, and it is best to believe it even 
though we cannot understand it. 

But we can understand it if we but understand isuith 
whom the covenant was made. Reader, it was not made 
with you personally, for you were not yet born when it 
was ratified by the blood of Christ. It was not made 
with the apostles as representatives of the house of 
Israel and Judah, because it was sealed with the blood of 
the offering, before they even understood that the cove- 
rant required the death of the Lamb of God. 

Now since the new covenant is not made with us nor 
with any other of the sinful sons of Adam personally, 
with whom was it made? Let the scriptures answer. 

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added be- 
cause of transgression until the seed should come to 
whom the promise was made'' (Gal. 3:19). "Now to 
Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He 
saith not. And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And 
to thy seed, which is Christ." Gal. 3 : 16. 

Thus it is plainly stated that the promises of the new 
covenant were spoken, not to the many of the house of 
Israel and Judah; but to the head of the house, even 
Christ. It necessarily follows that since the Father spoke 
His promises of the new covenant to Christ as the head 
of the house of Israel and Judah, it must have been the 
Son as surety for that covenant who made the promises 
on behalf of man to the Father. 

Here lies the blessed truth. The Father made the 
promises of the new covenant to His Son, and the Son 



IN THE NEW COVENANT 167 

made the promises on behalf of fallen man to the Father. 
Better promises ! Yes, praise the Lord ! Better promises. 
As much better as the promises of the sinless Son of God 
are better than the promises of the sinning sons of Adam. 

But where do we come in? "If ye be Christ's, then 
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the prom- 
ise." All the people of the house of Israel and the house 
of Judah to whom God spake the promises of the new- 
covenant were in Christ when God spake the promises to 
Him. And all the people of the house of Israel and of 
the house of Judah, — who ever will speak the promises 
of the new covenant to God, — have already spoken them 
to God in Christ when Christ spake them. 

The new covenant, therefore, is a covenant made be- 
tween the Father and the Son. This covenant existed in 
the plan of God before the foundation of the world. It 
did not come into existence at the time when God made it 
known to sinful Adam in the promise that the seed of the 
woman should bruise the serpent's head. It did not origi- 
nate at the time when God made it known to Abraham. 
Even if there had been no Abraham, all the blessings of 
the new covenant would have been bestowed on the 
world. Neither did the new covenant come into existence 
because there was a people known as the house of Israel 
and another as the house of Judah. All the promises of 
the new covenant would have been made if there had been 
no house of Israel and no house of Judah. 

That which called forth the promises of the new cove- 
nant was sinful Adam. The new covenant promises made 
known to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to 
Israel, were simply a making known to them a gospel 
which in the purpose of God was purposed in Christ be- 
fore the foundation of the world. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing 



168 THE PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY 

in the heavenly places in Christ: Even as he chose us in 
Him before the foundation of the zvorld." Eph. 1 : 3, 4. 
(Am. Standard.) 

This scripture plainly declares that God blessed us 
with every spiritual blessing in Christ before the foun- 
dation of the world. And since the blessings of the new 
covenant are all spiritual blessings, it follows that the 
blessed promises of the new covenant were made to us 
in Christ before the foundation of the world. 

''Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation 
of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish 
before Him in love : having foreordained us unto adop- 
tion as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according 
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the 
glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in 
the beloved: in whom we have our redemption through 
His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according 
to the riches of His grace." Eph. 1 : 4-7. (R. V.) 

This scripture tells us that these spiritual blessings of 
the new covenant are all summed up in the one blessing 
of sonship which He freely bestowed on us in the be- 
loved. We were chosen sons of God through Christ. 
And this glorious grace was freely bestowed upon us in 
the Beloved. Hence the only way for anyone to realize 
the blessings of the new covenant is to be born again, to 
be born a son of God through Jesus Christ. Thus it is 
plain that every spiritual blessing, which of course is 
every blessing of the new covenant, was bestowed upon 
Christ, and upon us only as we are in Christ, only as 
we are born sons of God. 

Inasmuch as this covenant was made with Christ be- 
fore we were born, it follows that it was not made with 
us personally: that is, apart from Him "to whom the 
promise was made." It also follows that as the covenant 
was made before we were born, we can have no share in 



IN THE NEW COVENANT 169 

the making of that covenant. And inasmuch as the bless- 
ings of the new covenant are bestowed upon us only in 
Christ — that is, only as we are branches of the True 
\'ine, only as we are sons of the Everlasting Father, — it 
follows that we come into possession of the promises of 
the new covenant not by making the new covenant with 
God on our own responsibility, but by being horn 
again, — by sharing the life of Him who is the last Adam, 
with whom the covenant was made before we were born, 
even before the foundation of the world. ''If ye be 
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according 
to the promise'' (Gal. 3:29). "If children, then heirs" 
(Rom. 8: 17). "If a son, then an heir of God through 
Christ." Gal. 4:7. 

But if the new covenant is made, then the law must 
be written upon the hearts and minds of the house of 
Israel and the house of Judah. For this is one of the 
spiritual promises of the new covenant. And the law is 
there written. 

Just as the law of a tree is all written upon the seed 
before the tree appears, so the law was written upon the 
Seed of Abraham for the whole family tree of the house 
of Israel and house of Judah before we, the branches, 
appeared. "If the root be holy, so are the branches" 
(Rom. 11 : 16) ; "I am the vine, ye are the branches: he 
that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much 
fruit : for apart from Me ye can do nothing." John 
15:5. (R. V.) 

Yes, the law was written upon the Seed, upon the 
Root, upon the Vine, for all branches before the branches 
appeared. Here is this truth plainly stated. "Lo, I 
come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I 
delight to do thy will, O my God : yea, thy law is within 
my heart:' Ps. 40:7, 8. 

But if the new covenant has been made, then all the 



170 THE PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY 

house of Israel and of Judah know the Lord from the 
least to the greatest of them. Certainly ! All the knowl- 
edge of God that will ever be known was known in the 
Son before the foundation of the world, and was revealed 
in the flesh in the man of Nazareth. "In whom are hid 
all the treasures of wisdom and knozvledge" (Col. 2:3). 
"Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and 
he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Matt. 11 : 27. 

This knowledge of God, like the law-written heart, is 
obtained by being born a branch of the Vine. The cry 
of the infant son, "Abba Father," is a cry of recognition 
that was born with hirn. "And because ye are sons, God 
hath sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, cry- 
ing, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6). This cry of recognition 
comes with the new birth, — with the new life, — comes 
when the spirit or life of the Son is sent forth into our 
hearts. 

The law of God and the knowledge of God are insep- 
arable from the life. They are both in the life of Christ 
and both come to us with His life. All who are in Christ 
know God from the least of them unto the greatest of 
them. 

The child ten months old does not need the child ten 
years old to give it an introduction to its mother. It is 
as surely acquainted with its mother as the older child. 
Neither does the child of God ten months old need the 
child ten years old to give him an introduction to his 
Father. 

It is a sad fact that in many cases the child ten months 
old is better acquainted with his Father than the child 
who dates his birth back ten, twenty, thirty, or forty 
years. All of the knowledge of God is hidden in the 
Divine Son for all, from the least to the greatest, and is 
to be revealed" in the branches as the branches spring 
forth from the vine. 



IN THE NEW COVENANT 171 

But if the new covenant has been made, then the 
transgressions of the house of Israel and the house of 
Judah have been pardoned. For the last promise of the 
covenant is, "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will re- 
member their sin no more." Yes, bless the Lord, and 
this has also been done. God has forgiven us all in 
Jesus Christ ; "in zvhom we have redemption through His 
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of 
His grace." Eph. 1 : 7. 

"And you, that were sometimes alienated and ene- 
mies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He 
reconciled in the body of His flesh through death.'' Col. 
1 : 21, 22. 

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Him- 
self, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; . . . 
For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no 
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God 
in Him:' 2 Cor. 5:19, 21. 

"Ye are complete in Him, ... in whom ye were 
(R. V.) circumcised with the circumcision made with- 
out hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh 
by the circumcision of Christ." Col. 2: 10, 11. 

When Christ, who was made sin for us, and who 
bore our sins in His own body on the tree, was "circum- 
cised" on Calvary's cross, — that is, when He was cut off 
in death, "we were circumcised," that is, cut off in Him ; 
when He who bore our sins in His own body, was cut 
off, we were reckoned cut off in Him. When He paid the 
penalty for our sins in His death on Calvary, we were 
counted as having paid the penalty of our sins in His 
death. Thus circumcision, which was a cutting off of a 
part of the body of the flesh, was a type of the crucifixion 
of Christ ; or the circumcising, or the "putting off of the 
body of the sins of the flesh." 

O yes! it is done! He hath forgiven our iniquities; 



172 THE PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY 

He hath imputed them to His Son, and hath not im- 
puted them to us. 

That this promise of the new covenant is fulfilled in 
Christ, is plainly stated by the Apostle Paul, who uses 
this promise of forgiveness of sins to sustain his posi- 
tion that men were separated from sin, or ''sanctified by 
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." 

In the tenth of Hebrews he proves that the one of- 
fering of Christ did what the repeated offerings of the 
typical system could not do, — ^that is, put away sin once 
for all. Notice his argument. 

Paul says: The ministers of the typical service ''can 
never with those sacrifices which they offered year by 
year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For 
then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because 
that the worshipers once purged should have had no more 
conscience of sins. . . . For it is not possible that the 
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins/' Heb. 
10:1-4. 

Again, "Every priest standeth daily ministering and 
offering ofttimes the same sacrifices, which can never 
take away sins: but this man, after He had offered one 
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of 
God ; from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made 
His footstool. For by one offering He hath perfected 
forever them that are sanctified." Vs. 11-14. 

Before presenting the apostle's quotation from the 
new covenant to sustain the point he has just made, get 
the point plainly before the mind. What was it that the 
blood of bulls and goats could not do ? It could not "take 
away sin." If it had taken away sin, "would they [the 
blood of bulls and goats] not have ceased to be offered?'' 
This is Paul's argument. Then when he proves that 
Christ has been offered once for all, does he not prove 
that the sins for which he has been offered are taken 



IN THE NEW COVENANT 1/3 

away? This is his point. Now notice how he uses the 
new covenant promise of forgiveness of sins to sustain 
that point. 

"Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us : for 
after that He had said before, this is the covenant that 
1 will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, 
I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their mind 
will I write them ; and their sins and their iniquities will 
I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, 
there is no more offering for sin." Heb. 10: 15-18. 

In this manner the Apostle Paul uses the new cove- 
nant promise of forgiveness of sins to prove that the sins 
for which Christ was offered were remitted when that 
offering was made. Just as certainly as "There is no 
more offering for sin," so certainly are thos^ sins re- 
mitted for which that offering was made. 

"Then doubt not thy welcome, since God hath declared 
There remaineth no more to be done; 
That once in the end of the world He appeared, 
And completed the work He begun." 

Yes, the Lord has written the law upon our hearts in 
Christ, and we realize this truth when we are born of 
Him. "For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus 
hath made me free from the law of sin and death." 

All, from the least to the greatest, have now a knowl- 
edge of God in Him, "in whom are hid all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge." And that knowledge is real- 
ized in us when by faith He is realized in us. 

Last but not least, we have now the forgiveness of 
our trespasses in Him, "in whom we have redemption 
through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins according 
to the riches of His grace." And this blessed gospel will 
be realized by the sinner the moment he believes it. 

When God made the new covenant with His Son and 
wrote His law on the fleshy tables of the heart of the 



174 THE PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY 

Son of Man, — the last Adam, — He then and there gave 
to the world, in Him, all the blessings of the new cove- 
nant. And these blessings are realized in us by our re- 
ceiving the life of that Son of Man, — that is, by being 
horn again. 

We were born, the first time, sons of the first Adam, 
and it was by that birth that we received all the curses of 
the covenant of death which Adam made with Satan. The 
wily adversary did not wait until a child was born before 
he made his covenant of death with Adam. If he had 
thus waited, he would have had to make a covenant with 
that son also, or that son would have been free from the 
fall. But he hastened to make this covenant with the 
head of the human race before the first child was born, 
well knowing that if he should be able to write the law 
of transgression upon the heart of the father of the 
human family, the root of the race, he would by that one 
writing inscribe the law of transgression on the heart of 
every child of the human family, every sprout from that 
root, every branch from that vine ; and the children would 
receive all the curses of that "covenant with death" by 
simply being born of that father. 

Reader, you were not present in person when that 
covenant with death was made, but you were present in 
your representative, you were there in the loins of Adam 
when the adversary met him. When Adam sinned, you 
sinned in him. This sinning was made manifest in you 
when you were born. By your birth you inherited the 
curses of that covenant just as the branch inherits the 
nature of the vine. Satan did not need to make that 
covenant with any of the children of Adam ; it was al- 
ready made with them in Adam. All that was necessary 
to cause them to realize the curses of that covenant was 
to receive the life of Adam, — that is, be born of him. 

In like manner, God does not make a covenant with 



IN THE NEW COVENANT 175 

each individual son of Adam. It would be useless to try 
to write His spiritual law on the carnal mind, "for the 
carnal mind is not subject to the law of God neither in- 
deed can be." One of the characteristics of the carnal 
mind is that of ''covenant-breakers." The old covenant 
made at Sinai is an illustration of how impossible it is 
for the carnal mind to keep a covenant made with God. 
Consequently, when God would make a covenant with 
the human family he made it with His Son, the last 
Adam. When he would write His law upon the hearts of 
the human race, he wrote it on the heart of the new 
Head and Father of the human race, the last Adam, the 
Son of Man. And we receive the blessings of that cove- 
nant by receiving His life. "As the Father hath life in 
Himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in Him- 
self." ''Ye must he horn again." 

But how can it be said that the new covenant was 
made between the Father and the Son before the foun- 
dation of the world, when the prophet Jeremiah presents 
it as a promise to be fulfilled in the future? The plan 
of salvation was laid before the foundation of the world 
in the Council of Peace between the Father and the Son, 
while the Son was the Son of God, before He was made 
flesh, — before He became by His incarnation the Son of 
Man. The new covenant could be promised by the Son 
of God, but it must be perfected by the Son of Man. 

It was Adam in the flesh that had promised and failed, 
consequently it must be another Adam in the flesh that 
promises and fulfills. It must be the seed of the woman, 
the seed of Abraham, the Son of Man, who fulfills the 
promises where man has fallen. "For since by man came 
death [through disobedience] by man came also the res- 
urrection of the dead [through obedience]. For as in 
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 
1 Cor. 15:21,22. 



176 THE PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY 

According to the covenant, it was "the seed of the 
ivoman" that should "bruise the serpent's head." As the 
*' first Adam" had stood for the first family and promised 
and failed, so in that same place the second Adam must 
stand and promise for the second family, and fulfill where 
the first had fallen. This He did. "Worthy is the Lamb 
that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, 
and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Rev. 
5 : 12. 

This blessed truth is thus told by the Apostle Paul : 

'Thou madest him [the first man] a little lower than 
the angels ; thou crownedst him with glory^ and honor, 
and didst set him over the works of thy hands ; thou hast 
put all things in subjection under his feet. . . . But 
now we see not yet all things put under him." [Why? 
Because he has fallen. And now instead of all things 
put under him we see him under all things. But keep 
looking at the place where "the first man" stood, and 
you will see the "second Man" rise. Keep watching] . 

"But now we see not yet all things put under him. 
But we see Jesus [the second man] who was made a little 
lower than the angels [where the first man was made] 
for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor ; 
that He by the grace of God should taste death for every 
man. For it became Him, for W'hom are all things, and 
by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto 
glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect 
through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and 
they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause 
He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will 
declare thy name unto my brethren. . . . And again, 
behold I and the children which God hath given me. For 
as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and 
blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; 
that through death He might destroy him that had the 



IN THE NEW COVENANT \77 

power of death, that is, the devil ; and deliver them who 
through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to 
bondage." Heb. 2:7-15. 

It was to the seed of the woman, — to the seed of 
Abraham that God made the promises of the new cove- 
nant, and it was the seed of the woman, — the seed of 
Abraham, — the Son of Alan, who must make and fulfill 
the promises to God on behalf of man. Consequently, it 
was the Son of Man who said, "I have kept my Father's 
commandments and abide in His love." It was the seed 
of Abraham who said in that tragic hour of Gethsemane's 
gloom, with face bathed in the blood of battle, "Thy will 
he done!" It was the seed of the woman as surety of 
the covenant, He who had placed the promise '*in the 
volume of the Book" ; who had said, "Lo ! I come to do 
Thy wall, O God" ; it was He who cried on Calvary's 
cross, "It is finished r and then bowed His head and 
died, sealing the covenant with His blood. 

The writer cannot refrain from repeating that glor- 
ious hymn of exhortation which so beautifully and scrip- 
turally sets forth the completed work of Christ. 

'There is life for a look at the crucified One, 

There is life at this moment for thee; 
Then look, sinner, look unto Him and be saved. 
Unto Him who was nailed to the tree. 

'Took ! look ! look ! and live ! 
There is life for a look at the crucified One, 
There is life at this moment for thee. 

"Oh, why was He there as the bearer of sin, 

If on Jesus thy guilt was not laid? 
Oh, why from His side flowed the sin-cleansing blood, 
If His dying thy debt has not paid? 



178 LIBERTY IN THE NEW COVENANT 

"It is not thy tears of repentance or prayers, 

But the blood that atones for the soul; 
On Him, then, who shed it thou mayest at once 
Thy weight of iniquities roll. 

"Then doubt not thy welcome, since God hath declared 

There remaineth no more to be done; 
That once in the end of the world He appeared, 
And completed the work He begun." 



XXXI 

THE SLAVEMASTER AS MINISTER OF LIBERTY 

Would you see him who once held the spear, but now 
the crucifix? Would you see the devil in his new dress? 
Would you see Satan in his new surplice? Would you 
hear the slavemaster preach liberty? 

You shall see and hear him; but to go where he is 
we will pass by another fakir whose tricks will help us 
discover the deceptions of the deceiver when we come to 
him. 

This scene is located in Virginia, and the time is 
January 2, 1863, the day after President Lincoln issued 
his famous Emancipation Proclamation setting free four 
million slaves. A man stands in the market place in the 
center of a vast crowd of intensely interested colored 
people. He professes to be a commissioner from the 
President of the United States. He claims that the Fed- 
eral Government has delegated to him the power to make 
men free. He claims that he holds in his hand the bond- 
age or freedom of every colored man. He declares that 
it is in his power to enslave or set free according to his 
will ; and he offers to make free and keep free any man 
or woman who will make a payment to him and keep 
making payments as long as they live. 










I ^ 



'^ C! 



180 THE SLAV EM ASTER AS 

At this point a man steps upon the platform and un- 
masks the deceiver, thus : 

"This man is not a commissioner of the United States 
Government. He is a deceiver. He has no power to set 
men free. The freedom which he offers is a fraud. He 
has no power to make men free, and no power to keep 
them free. On the authority of the government of the 
United States, I, as a duly accredited commissioner, an- 
nounce to you that you are already free. Yesterday the 
President of the United States issued an Emancipation 
Proclamation, from which I read the following : 

" *Now, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United 
States, by virtue of the power in me vested as Comman- 
der-in-Chief of the United States Army and Navy, in 
time of actual rebellion against the authority of the gov- 
ernment of the United States, on this first day of Jan- 
uary, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred 
and sixty-three, do ordain and declare that all persons 
held as slaves within the designated States, are, and 
henceforth shall he free ; and that the executive govern- 
ment of the United States, including the military and 
naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the 
freedom of such persons.' " 

"And now I, as commissioner of the United States, 
announce on the authority of this proclamation that you 
are already free, — free without money and without price. 
Believe the proclamation and go free. Put your money 
again into your purses. Your freedom is given to you 
as freely as the air you breathe. Take it and rejoice. 
This man is a fraud. He is preaching for his own profit. 
He is persuading you to pay for that which is already 
yours. He is defrauding you. Pay no heed to his pre- 
tentions. Believe this proclamation and go free." 

Now we will pass on to where the prince of dark- 
ness, dressed as an angel of light, is proclaiming liberty. 



MINISTER OF LIBERTY 181 

No, he is not a secularist ; do not look for him in that 
hall of atheism. 

No, he is not in that mosque ; he is not a Moslem. 

Did not the Apostle Paul tell us to look for him in 
the temple of God, in the garb of an apostle of Christ? 
We must look for him where professing Christians wor- 
ship. 

Here is a magnificent temple, let us enter here. What 
sublime singing! What beautiful paintings of sacred 
scenes ! Christ a babe in the manger ; Christ on the cross. 
Keep in mind that the prince of darkness is disguised 
as an angel of light, that he claims to be an apostle of 
Christ, and that his disguise is so perfect "as to lead 
astray if possible the very elect." You must not look for 
a clumsy deception. Listen ! He is speaking. 

*'I am the vicegerent of the Son of God on earth. I 
hold in my hand the weal or woe of the world. To mc 
has been committed the treasures of the grace of God. 
Whomsoever I choose to make free, is free. Whomso- 
ever I choose to bind is bound forever. The forgiveness 
of sins is committed to me. Whomsoever I choose to for- 
give, is forgiven. Whose sins I refuse to remit is doomed 
to dwell forever in the flames of the damned. I hold 
not only the eternal destiny of the living, but I have do- 
minion over the dead. I hold the keys of heaven, earth, 
and hell. Would you be free from your many sins, ap- 
proach and kneel before this altar. Would you see your 
loving mother who now writhes in the flames of purga- 
tory delivered from her unspeakable miseries? Would 
you, fond mother, desire to see that infant which 
died in your arms, and is now frying in the flames of 
purgatory, set free from those scorching flames? Would 
you soothe that pleading, piteous, voice of infant woe? 
Then come with the cash, and I, in the place of Jesus 
Christ, will offer for you on this altar, the body and 



182 THE SLAVEMASTER AS 

blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as an offering to appease 
the Father's wrath." 

Do you not discern the deception? Do you not see 
that he is a false apostle ? Do you not see that he is sell- 
ing for money the grace of God which is already theirs? 
Do you not see that like the seller of freedom in 
Virginia, this man is attempting to sell to the people that 
which God has already given them in Christ. Now listen 
while the true ambassador of Christ unmasks the fraud : 

"This man is not the vicegerent of Christ, but the 
predicted Antichrist who has exalted himself to sit in 
the temple of God and sell for money that which God has 
given as a free gift to the world. God has not deposited 
in any mortal man the gifts of redemption. These gifts 
are all deposited with His Son Jesus Christ. I have in 
my hand a copy of the proclamation of liberty which the 
P'ather of mercies has proclaimed to the world in Jesus 
Christ. I will read from the proclamation: 

" 'By grace have ye been saved through faith ; and 
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of 
works, that no man should glory.' Eph. 2:8, 9. R. V. 

** 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 
in heavenly places in Christ : according as He hath 
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, 
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in 
love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of chil- 
dren by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good 
pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His 
grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. 
In whom we have redemption through His blood, the for- 
giveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.' 
Eph. 1:3-7. 

" 'And, having made peace through the blood of His 
cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself ; by 



MINISTER OF LIBERTY 183 

Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in 
heaven. And you, that were sometime ahenated and 
enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He 
reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to pre- 
sent you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His 
sight/ Col. 1 : 20-22. 

'* 'For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ 
died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man 
will one die: for peradventure for the good man some 
one would even dare to die. But God commendeth His 
own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, 
Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified 
by His blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God 
through Him. For if, while we were enemies, we were 
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much 
more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.' 
Rom. 5:6^10, R. V. 

" 'So then as through one trespass the judgment came 
unto all men to condemnation ; even so through one act 
of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justi- 
fication of life. For as through the one man's diso- 
bedience the many were made sinners, even so through 
the obedience of the one shall the many be made right- 
eous.' Rom. 5:18, 19, R. V. 

" 'But all things are of God, who reconciled us to 
Himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministr>' 
of reconciliation ; to wit, that God was in Christ recon- 
ciling the world unto Himself, not reckoning unto them 
their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word 
of reconciliation. We are ambassadors therefore on be- 
half of Christ, as though God were entreating by us : we 
beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. 
Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf , 
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.' 
2 Cor. 5:18-21, R. V. 



184 THE SLAVEMASTER AS 

" 'But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love 
wherewith He loved us even when we were dead in sins, 
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are 
saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit 
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus ; that in the 
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His 
grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not 
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest 
any man should boast.' Eph. 2 : 4-9. 

"The true apostle of Christ is not the fountain of for- 
giveness and freedom. He is but the herald of that free- 
dom whose fountain is Christ. He is not a huckster who 
hawks, Tetzel-like, the gift of grace for a price. He is 
a royal herald who announces the gift already given; 
and calls upon the people to accept that gift by faith and 
be free. The true apostle of Christ will therefore de- 
clare to the people that God has reconciled them to Him- 
self by the death of His Son. This is what I declare 
unto you this day ; therefore be reconciled, be free. God 
has not imputed your sins unto you, but has imputed 
them unto His Son. 

" *Was Paul crucified for you ?' Was that man yon- 
der crucified for you ? 'What then is Apollos ? and what 
is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed.' 1 Cor. 
1:13; 3:5, R. V. 

"God has given to no man, arid to no organization of 
men, a monopoly of His mercy. Just as the proclamation 
of liberty to the American slaves was made without 
money and without price, and just as the commissioner 
was a herald and not a hoarder of that liberty, just so 
the apostle of Christ today is a herald of that liberty 
already granted. He is not the Liberator. He does not 
preach himself, but Christ. He does not exalt himself, 
but the Saviour of men. He does not bullv and brow- 



MINISTER Oh LIBERT) 185 

beat the sinner with the weapons of a self-appointed 
office. He beseeches and pleads with him to accept of 
the reconciliation wherewith he has been reconciled. 

"That man yonder proposes to offer the body of our 
Lord Jesus Christ as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of 
God. But God needs no appeasing. God is reconciled. 
God Himself gave the gift by which you were recon- 
ciled. *God so loved the world, that He gave His only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life.' John 3:16. 'God 
commendeth His love toward us in that while we were 
yet sinners Christ died for us.' 'For if, while we were 
enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of 
His Son, much more being reconciled, shall we be saved 
by His life.' Rom. 5:8-10. 

*Tor that man to attempt to offer the body and blood 
of Christ on that altar is but to deny that He has been 
offered. It is to deny that the one offering which God 
Himself provided in the person of His Son, was ac- 
cepted. 

"No, 'There is no more offering for sin' (Heb. 10: 18) ; 
'For by one offering He hath perfected forever them 
that are sanctified.' Heb. 10:14. 'Nor yet that He should 
offer Himself often; as the high priest entereth into the 
holy place every year with blood of others ; for then must 
He often have suffered since the foundation of the 
world : but now once in the end of the world hath He 
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after 
this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear 
the sin of many.' Heb. 9 : 25-28. 

" 'By which will we have been sanctified through the 
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And 
every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and 
offering ofttimes the same sacrifices, the which can never 



186 THE SLAV EM ASTER AS MINISTER OF LIBERTY 

take away sins : but He, when He had offered one sacri- 
fice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God ; 
from henceforth expecting [waiting] till His enemies be 
made the footstool of His feet. For by one offering He 
hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. . . . 
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offer- 
ing for sin/ Heb. 10: 10-18. (R. V.) 

**When that man professes to repeat that offering he 
thereby discredits the offering already made. Just as 
certainly as the repetition of the Mosaic sacrifices was a 
proof that they were powerless to put away sin, so cer- 
tainly does the repetition of the offering of Christ make 
the first offering of none effect, and is equivalent to stat- 
ing that the blood of Christ had no more power to put 
away sin than the blood of bulls and goats. 

"Pay no more money to that man for masses. The 
sacrifice has been made by Christ, and has been accepted 
at the mercy seat of the throne of God once for all. 

" 'Once for all ; oh^ sinner, receive it ; 
Once for all; oh, brother, believe it; 
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall, 
Christ hath redeemed us once for all.**' 

Reader, do you not discern the difference between the 
true and the false, between the herald of liberty and the 
false apostle? This is, and has been, the distinction be- 
tween the two through all the Christian centuries. And 
it is easy to see why the deceiver has drenched the earth 
with the blood of the martyrs. If the true apostle is be- 
lieved, the false will lose his living. This is the secret of 
the Satanic savagery with which the false apostle has fol- 
lowed the true through all the dark ages. 



THE AMBASSADOR'S ENTHUSIASM 187 

XXXII 

THE AMBASSADORS ENTHUSIASM 

Before taking leave of the true ambassador for Christ, 
let us see what is the motive and mainspring of his min- 
istry. Since he announces freedom without money and 
without price, what is it that makes him so earnest, so 
enthusiastic? Why is it that he risks his life, yea, gives 
his life freely, while spurning to sell his message for 
money ? 

Let the reader call to mind the scene in chapter four 
of the prostrate man with bleeding back who was born 
a slave, and whose every attempt to gain his freedom was 
followed by failure, and added oppression and punish- 
ment. Call to mind how he heard the message of eman- 
cipation from a brother freedman, believed the message 
and the messenger, and with joy unspeakable found him- 
self a free man, — no man's property, no man's beast of 
burden, no man's slave, but a freeman with a freeman's 
mind, a freeman's heart, a freeman's hand, — -free to 
think, free to love, free to labor, free to go and free to 
come. 

After the indescribable sensation of joy at being able 
to see with a freeman's eyes, speak with a freeman's lips, 
feel with a freeman's heart, and labor with a freeman's 
hand ; after his face has been fanned by a freeman's 
breeze, and his brow kissed by a freeman's son, what, 
reader, would you think would be his next thought? 
Would it not be the unspeakable joy of bringing this glad 
tidings to his old father who, with white hair and stoop- 
ing form, is tottering beneath his burden? Do you think 
he would stop to ask the value of the "living" or the 



188 THE AMBASSADOR'S ENTHUSIASM 

weekly wage? Do you think he would wait to tell the 
good news until he should be honored with an official 
recognition by some freeman's society? 

No, never! With a fleetness of foot never before 
known he would fly across the intervening fields, and as 
soon as he comes within hearing of that gray-haired 
father, he would shout the glad tidings, ''Father, you are 
free ! Mother is free ! brothers are free ! sisters are 
free ! I am free ! we are all free ! 

"Those hands are your own, father. Those feet are 
your own. Your heart is your own. Your mind is not 
master's; your mind is your own. The President of the 
United States has made us all free. And there is noth- 
ing to pay. He did it all for nothing. Believe it, father, 
and be free. I believed it, and see, I am free." 

When the old man has come to understand his ex- 
cited son, and to realize the full import of the glad tid- 
ings ; when with feelings too deep for utterance he has 
fallen upon his knees, and with swelling heart and heav- 
ing breast has whispered into the ear of the Almighty a 
prayer of thanksgiving, — what next ? When the new am- 
bassador has been refilled with this scene of inexpres- 
sible thanksgiving, he hastens to the kitchen where his old 
mother is finishing the last score of the four score years, 
and finding her feeble but faithful, he folds her in his 
arms, and with almost frantic joy, tells her his Gospel, 
while he watches her wrinkled face for the first flash of 
liberty's light; what then?* Again refilled, he hastens 
away to the brothers and sisters to break the glad news, 
then to uncles and aunts and cousins. 

Does he stop there? No, he goes on until every soul 
on the plantation has heard the joyful news. 

Does he stop now? No, away he goes to the nearest 
plantation to tell the joyful story made new by the joy 
of each rejoicing freedman. 



THE AMBASSADOR'S ENTHUSIASM 189 

It would be proper for him to receive help from the 
Freedman's Aid Society to pay his expenses from planta- 
tion to plantation, for food and for clothing, and for 
shelter ; but for telling the glad tidings, he wants nothing. 
The surpassing joy of breaking the glad news to his bur- 
dened, bruised, and bleeding brothers is wage enough for 
his willing work. 

Reader, why is it there is so little enthusiasm in your 
announcement of your freedom in Christ? Why is it 
you have waited for recognition from some conference or 
committee? Don't you believe the proclamation? Is it 
because you are not free? Have you found the procla- 
mation false? Why is it then that your efforts are so 
feeble and formal ? 

Come, brother, come, sister, search out the secret of 
your lack of enthusiasm. If it lies in a lack of consecra- 
tion, then supply that lack. Consecrate all. 

If it lies in a failure to forsake some sin, forsake it 
now. 

If it is because of some root of bitterness, put it away. 

Find the cause of failure, apply the remedy, get an 
experience in the joys of freedom that will make you 
enthusiastic to tell it to others. There are many of God's 
freemen still in fetters, bound because they do not know 
of their freedom. 

Believe the proclamation yourself, be free, then pro- 
claim it with power. God wants you as His f reedman to 
publish His proclamation ; and there is no joy on earth 
which can be compared with the joy of breaking the news 
of libertv to a freeman in fetters. 



190 HOW GOD OVERCOMES 

XXXIII 
HOW GOD OVERCOMES WHEN HE IS JUDGED 

''For what if some were without faith? Shall their 
want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of 
God ? God forbid : yea, let God be found true, but every 
man a liar; as it is written. That thou mightest be jus- 
tified in thy words, and mightest prevail when thou comest 
into judgment." Rom. 3 : 3, 4. (R. V.) 

Thus plainly is it stated that God will come into judg- 
ment, and that He will prevail when He is judged. It is 
also stated that He will prevail because He is found to 
be faithful and true. 

Faithful and true concerning what? — concerning the 
Gospel of His grace, of course. For it is concerning this 
that man has proved unfaithful. It is because of the 
faithfulness of God in dealing with a lost world through 
the Gospel, that men at last are led to cry out, ''J^st and 
true are thy ways thou King of saints." This will be 
voiced in the words of the great vindication mass-meeting 
on the glassy sea before the throne of God, when the 
myriad host cries with one voice, "Just and true are thy 
ways, thou King of saints." 

This enthusiastic vindication of God is not a verdict 
which is forced from the host by the arbitrary power of 
the King on the throne. God will take no pleasure in a 
vote of confidence from men who are mere machines. 
God could make machines which would look like men and 
which would with phonographic mechanism loudly speak 
His praise, and justify Him in all His ways, but it would 
be a lifeless, heartless vindication, and He will have no 
such worship. God seeketh only such to worship Him 
who worship in spirit and in truth. 



IVHEN HE IS JUDGED 191 

From this it is plain that this vindication, the unani- 
mous verdict of the whole host, is the hearty, spontaneous 
overflow of intelligent love and unfettered loyalty. There 
must have been, therefore, perfect freedom of thought 
in reaching this decision. 

Now we are prepared to appreciate a supposed judg- 
ment scene in which one of the finally condemned asks 
permission to speak in his own behalf, — in his own de- 
fence. We do not believe that any man will make any 
such defence, but it is certain that God would grant per- 
mission to make it if it were asked ; and for this reason 
the illustration is not inconsistent, and can therefore serve 
to illustrate an important truth of the glorious Gospel 
of the blessed God. 

Let us suppose that just before the sentence of the 
judgment is executed on the great host of the lost, a 
man steps out from that host, and standing before the 
great white throne, speaks thus : 

''Before the sentence of the judgment is executed, I 
ask permission to speak in my own defence, and declare 
the reasons why I deem it unjust that I should be pun- 
ished. May I speak?" 

Permission being granted, the man speaks : 

"I stand here today a condemned man under sentence 
of everlasting destruction. I never asked to come into 
this world. I was born into this world without my con- 
sent. I did not make myself a sinner; I was born a 
sinner. Father Adam made me a sinner. I do not deny 
that I have sinned, but the sins which I have committed 
are sins which I committed because I was born a sinner ; 
and the Almighty God who sits upon the great white 
throne know^s that I w^as born a sinner. He know^s I am 
not responsible for my birth. He knows that I was bom 
mortgaged to a carnal nature; and He knows that that 
carnal nature was too strong for me, and that I could 



192 HOW GOD OVERCOMES 

not keep myself from sinning, enslaved as I was by my 
birth to a body of death. 

"And now I appeal to this great assembly; I appeal 
to the inhabitants of heaven and earth ! Is it just to con- 
demn me to eternal destruction for sins which I com- 
mitted in a sinful nature which was forced upon me at 
my birth, which I did not ask for, — a sinful nature which 
was transmitted to me by the fallen father of the race, — 
a carnal nature which was my master and which I could 
not resist? Is it just to punish me for sins which were 
committed by a carnal nature which was forced upon me 
in my birth, and which I could no more change than the 
Ethiopian can change his skin or the leopard his spots? 
I repeat. Is it just to condemn me to destruction for sins 
committed in a sinning nature that was bound upon me 
at my birth by a sinful father, and from which I could 
not escape? Is it just to punish the son for the sins of 
the father?" 

When the first words of the accuser's challenge are 
hurled against the Most High, there falls a holy hush 
upon the great host of the redeemed, and in subdued si- 
lence, and with bated breath, but throbbing hearts, they 
listen to the terrible challenge. But no sooner has the 
accuser ceased to speak than the myriad host is seen to 
move toward the throne like the waves of a mighty sea, 
and a subdued murmur like the voice of many waters is 
heard, asking the supreme privilege of answering the 
challenge of the accusing man. 

It is the chief of sinners who is chosen to answer the 
charges. Every one of the many millions of unfallen 
angels is willing to undertake to answer the challenging 
man ; but they never were born in bondage to a crushing, 
carnal nature, and they cannot answer. At this solemn 
crisis God needs a redeemed sinner from the same tribe, 
nation, and tongue to vindicate His righteousness. The 



lyHEN HE IS JUDGED 193 

citizens of the unfallen worlds are willing to undertake 
to justify their God, but at this critical moment God 
needs the testimony of a fallen man, born in sin, con- 
ceived in iniquity, but redeemed by the gift of the grace 
of God, to silence the subtle charge of the accuser's chal- 
lenge. 

The chosen man, the chief of sinners, supported by 
the loving hearts of the myriad host, steps forward, and 
with a voice clear but tender, speaks thus : 

"I esteem it an inestimable privilege to bear witness 
to the justice, mercy, and wisdom of the God of all grace. 
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, to the witnessing 
words of a redeemed sinner. This is a faithful saying 
and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into 
the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. I, too, 
v/as born a sinner. I, too, inherited a sinful nature. I, 
too, came into this world without my consent, enslaved 
to a sinning nature. I was born and reared beside that 
man who has just spoken. I was born of the same blood, 
nursed in the same nation, taught the same tongue. I 
v;as born as he was born ; I sinned as he has sinned. 

"But he has not spoken all the truth. Not only was 
he born a sinner without his personal responsibility; but 
he was also redeemed from that birth without his per- 
sonal responsibility. 

'Tt is true that the first Adam made him a sinner; 
but it is also true that the last Adam redeemed him from 
all those sins. As by one man's disobedience the many 
were made sinners, so by the obedience of one the many 
were made righteous. 

"Yes, we were born in sin together; together we 
sinned; and together we heard the glad tidings of par- 
don and deliverance. My neighbor here neglected *so 
great salvation.' I accepted it. He is not condemned 
today because he was born a sinner and sinned as a 



194 HOW GOD OVERCOMES 

slave. All the condemnation which came upon man, — 
upon this man, — through the sinning of Adam, was 
placed by the Father of mercies, who sits here upon the 
throne, upon the head of His only begotten Son, the 
Lamb of God, who has taken away the sin of the world ; 
and He bore them in His own body on the tree. God 
was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not 
imputing their trespasses unto them. Instead of imput- 
ing this man's sins unto him; instead of punishing this 
man for the sins which he committed with the Adam na- 
ture, which he inherited by his birth ; instead of imputing 
them to this man and punishing him, God imputed them 
all to His Son, and His Son suffered in his stead. I, 
with this man, was reconciled to God by the death of 
His Son; but he refused to be reconciled; he chose to 
be a sinner; he sinned wilfully. He sinned upon his 
own responsibility. He is not condemned today because 
Adam sinned; he is not punished because Adam trans- 
gressed. All the condemnation of Adam's transgression 
was laid upon the Lamb of God. He is not here today 
a lost man because Adam sinned, either in the beginning 
or in this man. He is here because he himself has sinned 
by his own choice. He sinned wilfully after he came to 
a knowledge of the truth ; and there is not, neither could 
there be, any sacrifice for wilful sinning. He has trampled 
upon the Son of God. He has counted the blood of the 
covenant whereby he was sanctified an unholy thing. He 
has done despite to the Spirit of grace. He has crucified 
for himself the Son of God the second time. Adam in 
the beginning, and in this man, crucified the Son of God. 
And the Son bore those sins in His own body on the 
tree; but this man has committed sins, wilful sins, out- 
side of the sins of Adam. He has himself chosen to be 
a sinner by refusing the Gospel of salvation from sin so 
freely bestowed upon him. He has thereby committed 



IV HEN HE IS JUDGED 195 

sins for which there was no provision made in the death 
of Christ. Sins by which he would condemn Christ to 
die again. He has trampled upon the blood already shed 
and by his continual, wilful sinning he has counted the 
blood of the covenant whereby he was sanctified from the 
sins of Adam, no more sacred than the common blood of 
a beast that is shed at the slaughter. 

**My neighbor charges God with injustice in his con- 
demnation. He claims that God is punishing him for 
his birth for which he is not responsible. He claims that 
lie is to be punished for sins committed by a carnal na- 
ture that was forced upon him at his birth, and which 
he was powerless to resist. In the name of the Father of 
mercies, and the God of all grace, in the name of His 
Son, Jesus, who tasted death for every man, I deny the 
charge. 

'This man is not punished for anything that father 
Adam has done. Long ago the Father swore by His life 
that He would not punish the son for the sins of the 
father. 

"Long ago the Lord declared through the prophet 
Ezekiel ; 'What mean ye, that ye use this proverb con- 
cerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have 
eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on 
edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have 
occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, 
all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the 
soul of the son is mine : the soul that sinneth, it shall 
die.' Ezek. 18:2-4. 

"When the glorious Gospel of the blessed God was 
proclaimed to me, if I had rejected its salvation from 
sin and the sinful nature which was bound upon me by 
my birth, that sin, and that sinful nature from that time 
on would have become my own sin and my own chosen 
sinful nature. I could no longer have justly blamed 



196 HOW GOD OVERCOMES 

Adam for my sins, nor for my sinful nature. By definite 
rejection of the deliverance whereby I had been delivered, 
I would thereby have definitely chosen that sin and that 
sinful nature as my own chosen sin, and my own chosen 
sinful nature; and I could no longer have blamed Adam 
or God for my sinful nature, or for the sins committed 
by that sinful nature. If I stood in that man's position 
today it would be my own fault, and I could blame no 
one but myself. 

"And more than this, if I had rejected salvation from 
the Adam nature and from the sins of that nature, not 
only would I have endorsed and made my own the sins 
which I committed after that rejection, but in choosing 
sin in the place of salvation I would have endorsed those 
sins which the Adam nature had committed in me before 
that rejection, and thereby re-enacted them in mind and 
heart, and incurred their guilt, this time as my own 
chosen wilful sins. Those sins which were committed 
in my ignorance and weakness as a slave of the Adam 
nature, sins which were fully and freely borne by the 
Lamb of God, I would thereby have re-enacted in heart 
as my own, wilful sins. I could not have blamed Adam 
for the sins committed after I had rejected salvation; 
neither could I have claimed that I was punished for the 
sins of weakness and ignorance committed before that 
rejection. By my rejection of salvation from those past 
sins I would have justified and endorsed those sins and 
thereby in heart and mind re-enacted those sins as my 
own wilful sins. 

''And now I appeal to the assembled universe; I ap- 
peal to the loyal inhabitants of the unfallen worlds; I 
appeal to the redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, 
and people and nation; I appeal to the ruined world; 
to the rejecters of so great salvation; to those who have 
trampled under foot the Son of God, and counted the 



IVHEN HE IS JUDGED 197 

blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified as 
an unholy thing, and who have done despite to the Spirit 
of grace ; I appeal to all, fallen and unfallen, ruined and 
redeemed, loyal and lost, principalities and powers, sons 
of God, seraphim and cherubim ; — I appeal to all the 
universe to justify the government of God from every 
vestige of blame for the ruin of the lost. And I call 
upon 'every creature which is in heaven and on the 
earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, 
and all that are in them,' to ascribe blessing, and honor, 
and glory, and power, 'unto Him that sitteth upon the 
throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.' " Rev. 
5:13. 

Indescribably grand is the scene which follows. For 
six thousand years the Father and Son have lived under 
the charge of injustice in their relation to the fallen 
world. But with divine forbearance and infinite love 
they have waited the hour when truth and righteousness 
should triumph. All faces are turned toward Him that 
sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, while the as- 
sembled universe unite with one voice, in a mighty 
"Amen," saying: "Great and marvelous are thy works, 
Lord God Almighty ; just and true are Thy ways, thou 
King of saints." Rev. 15:3. 



XXXIV 

PROCLAIMING LIBERTY WITHOUT A PROCLAMATION 

"But Thomas . . . was not with them when Jesus 
came. The other disciples therefore said unto him. We 
have seen the Lord. But he said unto them. Except 1 
shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put 
my fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust my 



198 PROCLAIMING LIBERTY 

hand into His side, I will not believe." John 20: 24, 25. 

The cold, calculating man of the world commends the 
demand of Thomas as that of a calm, careful investiga- 
tor. His attitude is considered ''rational" as compared 
with that of the man or woman who believes in Christ 
for salvation without that seeing and feeling which the 
world considers convincing evidence. But hear the Mas- 
ter's patient reproof of this early "rationalist." 

"Then said He unto Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, 
and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and 
thrust it into My side; and be not faithless, but believ- 
ing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My 
Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, Be- 
cause thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed ; blessed are 
they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Vs. 
27-29. 

"But I cannot understand this," someone will say; 
"I cannot understand why the Lord promises a blessing 
on people who believe without seeing. Does the Lord 
want men and women to close their eyes to facts and 
believe what others tell them in so important a matter 
as the resurrection of Christ?" 

What was the difficulty with the demand of Thomas? 
What was it the Lord wanted Thomas to believe without 
seeing? Did He want him to believe the testimony of 
the other disciples without any other evidence that Christ 
was risen? No indeed. Faith is not credulity, faith is 
founded on evidence as stable as the foundation of the 
universe. 

That the reader may see the defect in the demand of 
Thomas, let us suppose a possible scene as occurring 
after this experience of Thomas, prior to the day of 
Pentecost. Bear in mind the fact that Thomas was study- 
ing to become a herald of liberty. The evidence upon 
which he rests his faith in the resurrection of Christ 



WITHOUT A PROCLAMATION 199 

must be evidence which he can use to convince others of 
the same truth. Here is the illustration. 

Thomas has gone forth to proclaim deliverance to 
the captives of sin through the death and resurrection of 
Christ. Standing in the temple with a large audience 
before him, he speaks thus : 

"Men and brethren, hearken unto me, for I bring you 
good tidings. I bear solemn witness unto you that Jesus 
of Nazareth, who was crucified and died and was buried, 
is risen from the dead. My testimony is true. I myself 
saw Him, after His resurrection ; yes, more ! I put my 
fingers in the print of the nails in His hands: and not 
satisfied with this, I thrust my hand into the spear-scar 
in His side. I therefore testify to a risen Saviour, and 
call upon all men to receive my testimony and believe on 
Him whom God has raised from the dead. Be it known 
unto you, therefore, brethren, that through this man is 
preached forgiveness of sins. Believe it and be free." 

A voice from the multitude cries : ''Bring Him forth ! 
Let us see Him; let us see the print of the nails in His 
hands ; let us thrust our hands into His side. Except we 
shall see the print of the nails in His hands ; except we 
shall put our fingers into the print of the nails and thrust 
our hands into His side, we will not believe." 

But Thomas in dismay replies : ''He is not here. He 
has ascended on high and is seated at the right hand of 
the Father. I cannot present Him. But why not believe, 
oh, ye doubters ! Why not believe my testimony ? Have 
I not seen Him? Have I not felt the prints of the nails 
with these hands? Have not these very hands felt the 
spear-scar in His side?" 

But the only response to this earnest appeal is the 
increasing cry of the multitude, "Bring Him forth ! Let 
us see Him. Let us feel the scars of the crucified man. 
You demanded to see the risen man and so do we. You 



200 PROCLAIMING LIBERTY 

rest your faith on your seeing, so do we. You refused 
to believe ere you could feel the print of the nails, so do 
we." And amid the angry clamor of the multitude; 
"Bring Him forth ! Show us the man !" Thomas hurries 
away, ashamed of his weakness, discouraged, defeated. 

Now that we see the weakness of Thomas, let us 
search for that which will make him strong. What was 
it that the Lord wanted Thomas to believe without see- 
ing? Was it the unsupported testimony of the other 
disciples ? 

Two other doubting disciples are on their way to 
Emmaus on the afternoon of the resurrection day. "And 
it came to pass, that, while they communed together and 
reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them. 
But their eyes were holden that they should not know 
Him" (Luke 24: 15, 16). Why did the Lord not make 
Himself known? — *why did - He not open their eyes that 
they might see Him ? Because He wanted them to believe 
what Thomas did not believe before they saw what 
Thomas demanded to see. And what is that? It is that 
which Jesus caused them to see before their eyes were 
opened to see Him. And this it is: 

"Then said He unto them, O fools, and slow of heart 
to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not 
Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into 
His glory ? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, 
He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things 
concerning Himself. . . . And it came to pass as He 
sat at meat with them. He took bread, and blessed it, 
and break and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, 
and they knew Him ; and He vanished out of their sight. 
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn 
within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while 
He opened to us the Scriptures?" Luke 24 : 25-27, 30-32. 

Reader, do you see it? Do you see what the Lord 



IVITHOUT A PROCLAMATION 201 

wanted Thomas to believe before Thomas saw Him, and 
what He wanted Thomas and the other disciples to feel 
before they felt Him ? He wanted them to see Him risen 
in the Scriptures, — the proclamation in parchment, be- 
fore they saw Him risen in the Hesh. He wanted them 
to feel the burning words "concerning Himself" **in all 
the Scriptures," before their hands felt the scar-marked 
wounds in all His body. And it was these nail-marked, 
spear-pierced Scriptures that the Lord asked Thomas to 
see before he saw their fulfilment in his nail-marked 
hands and spear-scarred side. He should first have seen 
the prints of the nails in the pages of the proclamation; 
afterward in the palms of the Prince of peace. 

Yes, Thomas ought to have believed the testimony of 
the other disciples when they said to him, *'We have seen 
the Lord." He ought to have been expecting to hear 
these glad words. He ought to have believed the prom- 
ise of the prophets, the proclamation of his prophet- 
Lord. His faith should have answered the resurrection 
message of his brethren with the cry, 'T believe it. I 
knew that the sun of this third day could never set until 
that seal was broken and that stone rolled from the 
rocky prison of my Saviour Prince, and death had de- 
livered back the Lord of life. Did not the prophets prom- 
ise it? Did not He point us to His own proclamation 
through these holy prophets and declare that He would 
fulfil them and rise again the third day? I believe He 
is risen. I believe your testimony. I believe you have 
seen Him ; I believe it because the proclamation of the 
prophets promises it. And when it shall please Him, I, 
too, shall see the beaming face of my blessed Lord." 
"Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have be- 
lieved." 

The failure to see and feel Christ in all the proclama- 
tion of the Scriptures, and to produce this proclamation, 



202 PROCLAIMING LIBERTY 

was the weakness of Thomas in the illustration given. 
Thomas was weak because he lacked one of the two vital 
witnesses in the case. His witness was powerless with- 
out the confirming witness, the proclamation of the 
prophets. There are many today whose witness is weak 
for the same reason. They tell of what they have seen 
and felt, and expect the world to believe on the ground 
of their seeing and feeling. But the world replies, ''We 
have not seen what you have seen, nor felt what you 
have felt. When we have seen what you have seen, and 
felt what you have felt, we may believe what you be- 
lieve." They are not ''mighty in the Scriptures." They 
do not confirm their testimony with the witnessing proc- 
lamation. 

Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost was pow- 
erful and productive because he first preached Christ 
risen in the promises of the prophets, and then bore per- 
sonal witness to His resurrection in fulfillment of their 
proclamation. Hear him combining these two witnesses 
in the burning words of power wdth which he concludes 
his testimony: 

"He [the prophet] seeing this before, spake of the 
resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, 
neither His flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath 
God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." Acts 
2:31, 32. 

The Spirit speaking through the proclamation of the 
prophets, and the Spirit speaking through the witnessing 
apostle, are the two witnesses of a risen Lord. And these 
two are one. But, blessed are they that have not seen 
the scars on the spike-pierced hands and the spear-pierced 
side, ajid yet have believed the nail-pierced psalm ; and the 
Christ-filled seer. "Blessed are they that have not seen 
and yet believed." The apostle of liberty is powerless 
without the proclamation of liberty. 



WITH A PROCLAMATION 203 



XXXV 

PROCLAIMING LIBERTY WITH A PROCLAMATION 

"It is written in your law that the testimony of two 
men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and 
the Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (John 
8: 17). Even Christ, the Son of God, did not ask the 
people to believe His message without a confirming wit- 
ness. 

''If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 
There is another that beareth witness of me ; and I know 
that the witness which He witnesseth of me is true" 
(John 5:31, 32) . After thus declaring to the people that 
He did not ask them to believe His testimony uncon- 
firmed, He proceeds to introduce the two witnesses upon 
which He rested His Messiahship and the two witnesses 
which He asked the world to believe for salvation. Here 
is the first witness : 

"The works which the Father hath given me to ac- 
complish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, 
that the Father hath sent me." Vs. 36. 

And here follows the second witness : 

"And the Father Himself which sent me, hath borne 
witness of me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any 
time, nor seen His shape. And ye have not His word 
abiding in you : for whom He sent. Him ye believe not. 
Ye search the scriptures because ye think that in them 
ye have eternal life ; and these are they which bear zi'it- 
ness of me." Vs. 37, 39. (R. V.) 

Thus it is made plain that Christ calls upon the world 
to receive Him on the combined testimony of His life, — 



204 PROCLAIMING LIBERTY 

"The life was the light of men" — and the promise of that 
life in the scriptures of the prophets. 

The prophets witnessed to what Christ would be and 
do, while the life of Christ was a witness that He was 
and did what the prophets said He would be and do. 
One witness is Christ in manuscript, the other is Christ 
in man. One is the promise in parchment, the other the 
fulfillment in flesh. A vivid picture of these two wit- 
nesses testifying together is presented in the following 
scriptures : 

"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been 
brought up; and as His custom was. He went into the 
synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read. 
And there was delivered unto Him the book of the 
prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He 
found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the 
Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach 
the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the 
broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and 
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them 
that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the 
Lord. And He closed the book and gave it again to the 
minister and sat down. And the eyes of all them that 
were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He 
began to say unto them, This day is this scripture ful- 
filled in your ears." Luke 4: 16, 2L 

No marvel that "the people wondered at the gracious 
words which proceeded out of His mouth," for they 
heard the two witnesses testifying as one. They heard 
"the volume of the book" in His hand and the voice of 
the book in His heart. Oh, that the perfect heavenly 
harmony of these two witnesses might be heard on earth 
once more! 

It is in the purpose and promise of God that these 
two witnesses shall continue their testimony even to the 



WITH A PROCLAMATION 205 

end of the world. But one is powerless without the 
other. As these two witnesses testified in the mission of 
the Master, so must they testify in the mission of His 
messengers. The voice from the holy manuscript must 
be heard from the holy man ; and consequently before 
the departure of Him who came into the world to "bear 
witness unto the truth" — ''Christ Jesus who before Pon- 
tius Pilate witnessed a good confession" — before this 
heaven-sent Witness returned to His Father, He pro- 
vided for the witnessing of His two witnesses even to 
the end of the world. Hear Him as He instructs them: 

"These are the words which I spake unto you while 
I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which 
were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets, 
and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened He their 
understanding, that they might understand the Scrip- 
tures, and said unto them. Thus it is written, and thus 
it behooved Christ to sufifer, and to rise from the dead 
the third day : and that repentance and remission of sins 
should be preached in His name among all nations be- 
ginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these 
things" (Luke 24:44-48). "Ye also shall bear witness 
because ye have been with me from the beginning" (John 
15:27). "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jeru- 
salem and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and unto the utter- 
most part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). "Go ye therefore, 
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
you: and, lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end 
of the world." Matt. 28 : 19, 20. 

These scriptures plainly show that the two witnesses, 
— the writings of the holy prophets, and the testimony of 
the holy apostles, were to continue their witnessing unto 
the end of the world. The holy prophets, promising a 



206 PROCLAIMING LIBERTY 

sin-remitting Redeemer, were to witness with the hol>' 
apostles, testifying to the fulfillment of these promises in 
the risen Lord. It was the Spirit's voice witnessing 
through the apostles, which produced the power of Pente- 
cost. 

Let us follow these two witnesses as they appear in 
the post- Pentecostal period of purity and power. If we 
are to realize a return of apostolic power, we must rec- 
ognize the forces which produced that power. Notice 
the presence of these two witnesses in the following re- 
corded discourses of the apostles, Peter and Paul: 

*'Ye denied the holy one and the just, and desired a 
murderer to be granted unto you ; and killed the Prince 
of life whom God hath raised from the dead ; whereof 
we are zvitnesses. . . . Yea, and all the prophets from 
Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have 
spoken, have likewise foretold these days!' Acts 3 : 
14, 15, 24. 

"And we are witnesses of all things which He did, 
both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem ; whom 
they slew and hanged on a tree ; Him God raised up the 
third day and showed Him openly ; not to all the people, 
but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who 
did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. 
. . . To Him give all the prophets witness, that through 
Plis name, whosoever believeth in Him, shall receive re- 
mission of sins." Acts 10 : 39-43. 

"For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, 
because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the 
prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have 
fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they 
found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they Pilate 
that He should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all 
that was written of Him, they took Him down from the 
tree and laid Him in a sepulchre. But God raised Him 



IVITH A PROCLAMATION 207 

from the dead : and He was seen many days of them 
which came up with Him from GaHlee to Jerusalem, zvlio 
are His Zi'itnesscs unto the people." Acts 13:23-31. 

"Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue 
unto this day, zintnessing both to small and great, saying 
none other things than those which the prophets and 
Moses said should come : that Christ should suffer, and 
that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, 
and should show light unto the people and to the Gen- 
tiles." Acts 26: 22, 23. 

When the curtain falls on the last scene in the last 
cf the Acts of the Apostles the audience is in the city of 
the Caesars, and the actors are the two witnesses, Christ 
in the parchments of the prophets, and Christ in the 
apostle, the ''prisoner of the Lord," as recorded in the 
following scripture : 

''And when they had appointed him a day, there came 
many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded 
and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them con- 
cerning Jesus, both out of the lazv of Moses, and out of 
the prophets, from morning till evening." Acts 28: 23. 

In all the powerful, productive preaching, from Peter 
on the day of Pentecost, to Paul a prisoner at Rome, 
these tw^o witnesses — the voice from the holy manuscript 
and the voice from the holy man ; the proclamation in 
the volume of the book, and the proclamation in the voice 
of the believer, — were the witnesses used by the Holy 
Spirit in making that period the period of greatest power 
in the history of Gospel preaching. 

To all who are earnestly and honestly seeking for 
Penetecostal power, the results of this research are pray- 
erfully presented. Does the weakness lie in the absence 
of the witnessing proclamation, or in the absence of the 
witnessing preacher? Does it lie in the absence of the 
v;itnessing manuscript or of the witnessing man? 



208 FAITHLESS FREEDMEN 



XXXVI 

FAITHLESS FREEDMEN 

And the Lord said unto Moses at the burning bush, 
"Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say 
unto them. The Lord God of your fathers, the God of 
Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, say- 
ing, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done 
to you in Egypt : and I have said, I will bring you up out 
of the affliction of Egypt . . . unto a land flowing with 
milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice." 
Ex. 3 : 16, 18. 

"Moses answered and said, But behold, they will not 
believe me, nor hearken unto my voice ; for they will say, 
The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." Ex. 4:1. 

"And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine 
hand? And he said, A rod. And He said, Cast it on 
the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it be- 
came a serpent ; and Moses fled from before it. And the 
Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take 
it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, 
and it became a rod in his hand: that they may believe 
that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, 
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared 
unto thee. And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put 
now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand 
into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his 
hand was leprous as snow. And He said. Put thine hand 
into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his 
bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, be- 
hold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall 
come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken 



FAITHLESS FREEDMEN 209 

tC' the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the 
voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if 
they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken 
unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the 
river, and pour it upon the dry land ; and the water which 
thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the 
dry land." Ex. 4:2-9. 

"And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together 
all the elders of the children of Israel." But they did 
not believe what Aaron told them. This is evident from 
the fact that Aaron did the signs which they were com- 
manded to perform in case the elders did not believe. 
At the first promise of deliverance, these solemn elders 
shook their hoary heads in hopeless unbelief. But Aaron 
threw the rod down among them, and the living serpent 
doubtless caused a movement among the elders, not un- 
like the movement which Moses made when he saw the 
serpent at the first. But Aaron took the serpent by the 
tail, and doubtless handed the harmless rod for inspec- 
tion to the cautiously returning elders ; and they won- 
dered if there was not, after all, something in what IMoses 
and Aaron had told them. 

But yet they did not believe. Then the second sign 
was performed. At the sight of the leprous hand there 
is another scene. When the hand was healed, no doubt 
there were many expressions of wonder at the power 
manifested, and many believed the message of Moses ; 
but some doubted. 

Then the water of the river was poured out at their 
feet, and became a crimson stream. At the sight of the 
blood they believed, for it is written that — "after Aaron 
did the signs" the people believed. 

But their belief was based on "seeing." There is a 
believing more blessed than this. "Thomas, because thou 
hast seen Me, thou hast believed : blessed are they that 



210 FAITHLESS FREEDMEN 

have not seen, and yet have believed." Believed what? 
Believed the word of God, of course. Had not God said 
to Abraham, "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be 
a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve 
them ; and they shall afflict them four hundred years ; 
and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge : 
and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 
. . . But in the fourth generation they shall come hither 
again" (Gen. 15:13-16). If the elders and people had 
believed God's word to Abraham, they would have be- 
lieved the message of Moses, and would have moved out 
by faith without seeing the signs. ''We walk by faith 
and not by sight." 

But now that they have seen the signs, they think 
themselves men of faith, but they are not ; they are men 
of sight. ''Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not 
believe." The trouble in basing our believing on signs 
is that signs change. Now, instead of signs of deliver- 
ance there arise signs of bondage. Instead of hurrying 
out of Egypt after signs, they are hustling into Egypt 
after stubble ; and instead of signs of more freedom, 
there are signs of more flogging. Now, the signs of the 
serpent and the blood are eclipsed by the signs of the 
stubble and the beating; and instead of rejoicing in 
Moses as the agent of their deliverance, they reproach 
him as the agent of their destruction. The signs have 
changed. Better, far better than the wriggling rod or 
the whitening hand, is this word of God to Abraham, 
"In the fourth generation they shall come hither again." 



THE BLESSINGS OF BONDAGE 211 



XXXVII 

THE BLESSINGS OF BONDAGE 

There are blessings even in bondage. It was the 
bondage of Egypt that prepared the Children of Israel 
for deliverance. It is evident that but for the bondage 
they suffered, they would have preferred to remain in 
Egypt. It is clear from Ezek. 20 : 7-9 that they had, to 
a large extent, accepted the gods of the Egyptians, which 
would go to prove that they were settling down to be- 
come a component part of this heathen empire. 

As a preparation for their deliverance from spiritual 
bondage, God suffered them to experience physical bond- 
age. Consequently it is written, ''He turned their [the 
Egyptians] heart to hate His people, to deal subtilly 
with His servants." This does not say that He made, 
their heart hateful, but that He turned their hateful heart 
to hate His people. And all the bondage which fol- 
lowed was permitted because God loved His people, and 
desired only their good. 

The Egyptians feared that the Israelites would be- 
come strong and turn against them in time of war, "and 
so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set 
over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. 
. . . And they made their lives bitter with hard bond- 
age, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of ser- 
vice in the field : all their service wherein they made 
them serve was with rigor" (Ex. 1: 10, 14). It will be 
noticed that Pharaoh's plan to keep them in bondage was 
Jehovah's plan to set them free. 

"And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every 
son that is born ye shall cast into the river." Ex. 1 : 22. 



212 THE BLESSINGS OF BONDAGE 

When their bondage became unbearable, then "they 
cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of their 
bondage. And God heard their groaning." Of course 
He heard it, and it pained His heart, *'for in all their 
afflictions He was afflicted." There was just as much 
love in the dealings of God with Israel at this time when 
He had turned the heart of the Egyptians to hate His 
people, as there was later when, with shouts of victory, 
and banners flying, they marched out of their cruel bond- 
age. God loved them just as much when by bondage and 
beating He was driving them to groan and cry, as when 
He delivered them, with joy and singing, on the day of 
their redemption. Reader, remember this truth. It will 
help you some dark day. ''Whom the Lord loveth He 
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." 

The Lord was listening for Israel's groans, and when 
He heard them He was glad. He listened for them to 
cry to Him for help. And when they cried He was 
glad, and hastened to halt the shepherd whom He had 
already prepared for such a time as this. And to him 
He said: 

*'I have surely seen the affliction of My people which 
are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their 
taskmasters ; for / know their sorrows; and I am come 
down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, 
and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land, 
and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey." 
Ex. 3 : 7, 8. 

When Moses and Aaron with signs and wonders bore 
the glad tidings to the groaning bondmen, the bondmen 
were glad. *'And the people believed: and when they 
heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel, 
and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they 
bowed their heads and worshiped." But their bondage 
was not yet over. Their bitterest bondage was ahead of 



THE BLESSINGS OF BONDAGE 213 

them. God had succeeded in causing them to groan un- 
der their burdens ; He had called forth prayer for deliv- 
erance and had succeeded in causing them to "right about 
face," and look in the direction of the promised land. 
But now that they were facing forward, more afflictions 
must follow. Why? To help to hasten them out, and 
to help to keep them from returning. Many a slave of 
sin has seen his darkest hours after he had faced toward 
freedom. 

The Lord has to be careful in His chastisements lest 
we be driven into the depths of despair. He would like 
to so afflict us in our Egypt of sin, that we will forever 
remember its beatings, its bondage, and its blackness, so 
that however hard the way to the promised land may be 
we will never harbor the thought of returning. So we 
will cry at our Red Seas, at our bitter waters, and bread- 
less wastes, "It were better for us to die in the wilder- 
ness than to return to the world." 

With all their bitter bondage, with all their bleeding 
backs, with all their buried baby boys, these faithless 
freedmen continually talked of the advantages of Egypt 
— of the land of burdens and of blood. They said, 

"It had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, 
than that we should die in the wilderness" (Ex. 14: 12) ; 
"Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in 
the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, and 
when we did eat bread to the full" (Ex. 16:3) ; "Let 
us make us a captain, and let us return into Egypt." 
Num. 14:4. 

With all their bondage, it is clear they were not bur- 
dened enough. With all their beatings, they were not 
bruised enough. Though greatly blessed with bitter bond- 
age, they were not blessed enough. They would have 
been more blessed with these blessings if they could have 



214 THE BLESSINGS OF BONDAGE 

borne them. God desired to prepare men to stand in 
the breach when the wilderness tests should come and 
the praises of Egypt should be sung by the faithless 
freedmen. With all their groans, and with all their bit- 
ter cries for deliverance from their bloody bondage, 
where was the freedman who, remembering these bitter 
days, stood forth at the wilderness crisis and cried : "Who 
is the man who would turn this host back to the bur- 
dens of Egypt? Has he forgotten the tyrant taskmas- 
ters? Has he forgotten his fainting, stumbling steps as 
he hastened into the harvest field after stubble in a hope- 
less eflfort to accomplish the tyrant's task? Men of 
Israel, have you so soon forgotten the naked backs, 
beaten bloody by the tyrant's lash? Mothers of Israel, 
have you forgotten the baby girls saved from their 
brothers' fate, only to feed the frightful hells of a 
heathen harem? Have you forgotten the baby boys that 
were torn from your bosoms and fed to the cruel croco- 
dile gods of your tyrant masters? 

"Return into Egypt ? Never ! A thousand times, No ! 
Better, a thousand times better, perish in this wilderness 
than be enslaved to the uncircumcised, and see our chil- 
dren driven to the harem hell and the dragon of the 
Nile. For shame, men of Israel ! On to the promised 
land ! It is treason against Jehovah, the God of our 
fathers, to talk of returning to the heathen tyrant. Turn 
your backs forever upon the land of the tyrant and your 
face to the pillar of fire." "O give thanks unto the Lord 
for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Let 
the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath re- 
deemed from the hand of the enemy." 

Blessed is the man who can bless God for the bondage 
that he was made to feel when in the land of the world, 
the flesh, and the devil. It was bondage of this kind, 
experienced by Wycliife, by Luther, by Baxter, and by 



THE BLESSINGS OF BONDAGE 215 

Bunyan, that led them ever to bless the day of their de- 
liverance and scorn the temptation to return to the bitter 
bondage of a condemning conscience. 

Though not counted in the class of overcoming saints 
just named, the writer desires to bear witness to the 
blessings of bondage. I bless God for the revelation of 
his blessed will concerning the bitterness and bondage 
of the awakened conscience of a soul in sin, and per- 
sonally, for every dark hour, for every bitter cry of a 
condemning conscience. 

And now let the reader and the writer unite with one 
of deep experience in the blessings of bondage, in prais- 
ing our great Deliverer for both our fetters and our 
freedom. 

''O that men would praise the Lord for His good- 
ness, and for His wonderful works to the children of 
men ! For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the 
hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and 
in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and 
iron ; because they rebelled against the words of God, and 
contemned the counsel of the Most High : therefore He 
brought down their heart with labor ; they fell down, and 
there was none ^to help. Then they cried unto the Lord 
in their trouble, and He saved them out of their dis- 
tresses. He brought them out of darkness and the 
shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 

'*0 that men would praise the Lord for His good- 
ness, and for His wonderful works to the children of 
men ! For He hath broken the gates of brass, and cut 
the bars of iron in sunder. Fools because of their trans- 
gression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. 
Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat ; and they draw 
near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the 
Lord in their trouble and He saveth them out of their 



216 THE BLESSINGS OF BONDAGE 

distresses. He sent His word, and healed them, and de- 
livered them from their destructions. 

"O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, 
and for His wonderful works to the children of men! 
And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and 
declare His works with rejoicing." Ps. 107 : 8-22. 



XXXVIII 
FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 

But they do not believe these ten words. They want 
more signs. More signs shall they see. Then the Al- 
mighty God of Abraham, — the Jehovah of Moses, lays 
bare His glorious arm and strikes ten terrible blows at 
the gods of Egypt and the throne of the Pharaohs ; and 
there were plagues of murrain, of hail, and of blood. 
There were plagues of lice, and plagues of locusts, and 
plagues of lightning. There were plagues of frogs, 
plagues of flies, plagues of famine. There were heavens 
of blackness and rivers of blood. There were plagues 
in the herd and plagues in the home. There was death 
in the hovel and death at the throne. Israel saw signs in 
the heavens and signs in the earth ; signs in the waters 
and signs in the winds ; signs in the darkness and signs 
in the dust; signs in the living and signs in the dead. 
They saw the haughty Pharaoh humbled, the tyrant task- 
master tamed. The Hebrew slaves have plenty, the mas- 
ters of Egypt are poor. 

They saw all this and thought they believed; and 
with banners flying and with freedom's shout, they 
turned their backs on the brick kilns of Egypt, and faced 
toward the Canaan of their father. They think they 
believe, but there is no evidence of faith as yet. They 
have seen signs, and are walking in the light of those 



FAULTFINDING FREED MEN 217 

signs. "We walk by faith, not by sight." ''Without 
faith it is impossible to please Him." Faith is the evi- 
dence of things not seen. When the ten signs of free- 
dom are out of sight, and the signs of bondage again 
appear, will they then fall back on the words of God's 
unfailing promise? "But in the fourth generation they 
shall come hither again." 

Reader, let us join this company in their march to 
the promised rest. Let us meet their trials with them. 
The results of this march "are written for our admoni- 
tion on whom the ends of the world are come." Though 
we are not literally marching from literal Egypt, we are 
literally passing through an experience which will result 
in our learning the lessons of faith which they failed to 
learn, or falling as they fell, in the wilderness of unbe- 
lief. "Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest 
any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Heb. 
4:11. 

As this great host of sightseers are moving eastward 
in the direction of the promised land, led by the pillar of 
cloud, presently their glorious guide, instead of passing 
the northern arm of the Red Sea, turns southward and 
moves down the west side of the sea, thus placing the 
sea between them and their promised home. Soon the 
mountains on the right, and the sea on the left will shut 
them in. This is a sign to the sightseers that somebody 
has blundered. Does not God know that this is not the 
path to the promised land? Does He not know that 
there is no bridge across the Red Sea? Does He not 
know that there is no pass through the mountains ? Does 
He not know that He is leading the host into a veritable 
trap? Yes, He knows all this. But still He moves ma- 
jestically along. Yet there are more signs to see. 

There are strange sounds both felt and heard, — 



218 FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 

sounds not unlike the first faint rumblings of the earth- 
quake; and looking back they see Pharaoh's maddened 
host. It is the wild gallop of the cavalry of Egypt;* it 
is the roar of Pharaoh's chariots of iron, thundering 
down to avenge the blight of his fields and flocks, the 
blast of Egypt's fame, and the blood of its first-born. 
The signs have changed. And now there wells up from 
this great host of sightseers, a maddened murmur against 
Moses, which, when written by the recording angel, reads 
thus: "Because there were not graves enough in Egypt, 
hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?" Ex. 
14:11. 

But why did the Lord lead to this place with the 
impassable mountains on the right, and the impassable 
sea on the left, and the implacable Pharaoh behind? Be- 
cause He wanted them there. Because He wanted them 
to believe Him when the signs were against them; He 
wanted them to graduate from the kindergarten of sight 
into the first reader of faith. He wanted them to say, 
"We have never seen our Deliverer drive a tunnel 
through a mountain and make an escape for a multitude 
like this; but He can do it if He will, and He will if it 
be well; let us wait in faith. We have never seen the 
God of Abraham plough a path through the sea and per- 
mit His people to pass over on dry land, but He can do 
it if He will. Remember His wonders in Egypt and His 
word to Abraham ; stand still O Israel, believe His prom- 
ise and ye shall see His salvation." But instead of the 
shout of faith there was the murmur of unbelief. 

Reader, what would you and I have done if we had 
been there? We can tell something of what we would 
have done then by what we are doing now. We are 
warned against falling "by the same example of unbe- 
lief." It must be therefore that we are being tested by 
trials and are having an opportunity to trust God in the 




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220 FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 

presence of impassable seas of difficulty. May we take 
warning by this record of Israel's fall which was written 
for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are 
come. 

Israel failed to learn the lessons. They failed to be- 
lieve God without seeing. They "provoked Him at the 
sea, even at the Red Sea." But, though provoked. He 
is patient, and the tloud moves back to meet the charg- 
ing chariots. The heavens grow black and the host is 
halted. All night there is the blackness of darkness be- 
fore the host of Pharaoh, and the brightness of day be- 
hind the host of Israel. The sinful sightseers behold 
this new sign of salvation, and begin again to believe. 
But it is the belief that is based on sight, not the faith 
founded on the Word. 

Moses stretched his rod over the sea, and all night 
long while Pharaoh waited to destroy, Jehovah worked 
with wind and wave to redeem. 

While the deep sea moaned destruction, 
And its dark waves groaned despair, 

His wild winds walled its waters, 
His frost winds froze them there. 

"And the children of Israel went into the midst of 
the sea upon dry ground ; and the waters were a wall 
unto them on their right hand, and on their left" (Ex. 
14: 22). When the last man was safe on the other side; 
when the waves had washed Pharaoh's mighty host in 
a mangled mass on the rocks at their feet, then the men 
of Israel believed, and the recording angel wrote as the 
monotonous diary of the day, "And Israel saw that great 
work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the 
people . . . believed the Lord." They saw and be- 
lieved. "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have 
believed." 



FAULTFINDING FREED MEN 221 

They saw the tyrant Hfeless beside the silent sea, 
then they sang the song of Moses, the song of victory. 

They saw and then sang. They sang the song of 
Moses, but was it their song? Moses had believed before 
the sea was furrowed, and while the tyrant lived. He 
had a right to sing the song of victory now that the host 
was delivered and the tyrant dead. God saw the sing- 
ing, dancing multitude, and knew they were not men of 
faith. But He will give them another chance to walk by 
faith when they cannot see their way clear. 

When the song was sung and the dancing done, the 
cloud rose and moved on to the waters of Marah. The 
people were thirsty, but the waters were bitter. The 
Lord knew the waters were bitter, and He knew that 
the people were thirsty. He wanted the waters bitter, 
and He wanted the people thirsty. He wanted to teach 
them to trust His saving power before they saw His 
saving power. Now is the time to sing the song of 
Moses, now is the time to dance. One shout now is 
worth a multitude a few minutes later. God was hungry 
to hear someone express confidence in His love and care. 
He wanted to hear that mother whose child is crying for 
water, say to the little one, "Be patient a little longer ; 
I know you are thirsty, mother is thirsty, too. God knows 
how thirsty we are ; He knows the waters are bitter. He 
brought us here to give us a chance to trust Him. We 
failed at the Red Sea ; we murmured where we ought to 
have trusted. Let us sing of His goodness, and talk of 
His power. Be patient, child, and presently we shall 
have plenty of water. Stand still and see His glory." 

But instead of the song of faith,' there is the old mur- 
mur of unbelief. Again they provoked Him, but still He 
was patient. Only three days from the dancing! The 
waters are sweetened, the thirst is quenched; another 
sign. has been seen. The people now think they believe. 



222 FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 

Only another failure in their fast-filling record of un- 
belief. He will try them again. 

The cloud moves on to the wilderness of Sin. There 
is no bread in this wilderness. God knows it. They are 
getting hungry, but God knows that. He wants them in 
the wilderness without bread. He wants them hungry. 
He wants to hear these hungry men, when there is no 
bread in sight, talk of the promise to Abraham, and of 
His wonders in Egypt, and His terrible works at the 
Red Sea. He wants to hear them say, ''Stand still, O 
Israel, and see the salvation of your God. There is no 
bread in sight, it is true, neither was there any deliver- 
ance in Egypt, but our God delivered us; neither was 
there any way through the sea, but He made a path and 
saved us. The waters were bitter at Marah, but He 
sweetened the fountain. We have never seen Him spread 
a table in the wilderness, but He is able, and willing. 
Wait for Him. We have failed thus far ; let us have 
faith now." 

But instead of faith, He hears this terrible, wicked 
wish : "Would to God we had died by the hand of the 
Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the flesh-pots, 
and when we did eat bread to the full, for ye have 
brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole 
assembly with hunger." 

God rained bread from heaven, they ate and believed. 
But they failed, — utterly failed again. They are in dan- 
ger of committing the unpardonable sin. If they con- 
tinue this course of sinning and repenting, of murmuring 
under trial, and repenting after the trial is taken away, 
they will come to the place where no new trial will help 
them, when they will be hopelessly lost. Not because 
God has lost interest in them, but because His efforts to 
save them only harden their hearts, only make them 
more daring and reckless in their murmurings. 



FA UL T FIN DING FREED MEN 223 

Again the cloud moves on and the murmurers follow. 
"And all the congregation of the children of Israel jour- 
neyed from the wilderness of Sin after their journeys 
according to the commandments of the Lord, and pitched 
ir Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to 
drink." The Lord who led them there, knew there was 
no water. That was the reason He led them there. He 
wanted them to believe He loved them so much that He 
would not lead them where there was no water, unless 
He intended to furnish them water. Here is a grand 
opportunity to sing the song of Moses on the waiting 
side of the water. And if they will but do it, there will 
be joy above the cloud, and joy within the cloud, and joy 
beneath the cloud, and streams of water in the desert, 
and the cloud will lead quickly from the wilderness of 
wandering to the land of rest. 

Reader, what would you have done? You can tell 
what you would have done by what you are doing now. 
If you are murmuring now, you would have murmured 
then. If you are trusting Him in trials here, you would 
have trusted Him in trials there. 

Turning to look at the host in the desert, we see 
them abusing Moses thus : ''Wherefore is this that thou 
hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our chil- 
dren and our cattle with thirst." In the midst of this 
murmuring multitude, Moses looked up to heaven and 
cried unto the Lord, saying, "What shall I do unto the 
people; they be almost ready to stone me." At every 
failure to have faith from the first, their hearts have 
grown harder. They are throwing the stones of their 
hearts at Moses now, and soon they will be throwing the 
stones of their hands unless their stony hearts are 
changed. 

But why throw stones at Moses ? Moses had not led 
them to this desert. He had only followed the cloud. 



224 FAULTFINDING FREED MEN 

Their terrible charges of murder were not against Moses, 
but against the Lord who had led them in the cloud. 
''Your murmurings are not against us, but against the 
Lord," said the patient Moses at the previous trial. It 
would have pleased God just as well, and probably better, 
if they had threatened to throw stones straight at the 
cloud instead of threatening to throw them at God 
through Moses. 

Reader, stop throwing stones at Moses. Throw them 
straight at the cloud. It is more convenient and cour- 
ageous, and they will be just as well received, and it may 
be the awful thought of stoning that patient, tender, 
thorn-scarred face, will soften the heart, and empty the 
hand of the stoning one. 

I want to bear witness here to the saving power of 
this terrible truth. I used to stone Moses. I used to 
murmur against man ; I used to blame my brethren for 
my failures. I came to see that I, too, was murmuring 
against Moses. But with heart and hand full of stones, 
I came one day face to face with the Father of Moses, 
with the "Father of Spirits" in the facts of this chapter 
and heard Him say to me through His word, "My son, 
despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint 
when thou art rebuked of Him. For whom the Lord 
loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He 
receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you 
as with sons, for what son is he whom the Father chas- 
teneth not?" (Heb. 12:5, 7.) When I heard this the 
stones melted out of my heart, and fell from my hand. 
I must not murmur at men ; I cannot murmur at God. 
I must murmur no more. 

Returning to the thirsty, threatening camp of Israel, 
we read: "He smote the rock that the waters gushed 
out." Then the people drank and were glad. Now again 
they think they have faith, but they are farther from 



FAULTFINDING FREED MEN 225 

faith than ever before. They are hurrying on to hopeless 
unbelief. 

The oft-provoked but ever patient God of Israel now 
plans the most magnificent display of divine power and 
glory the world has ever seen. The people are seeking 
after signs. They shall see signs until they are satisfied. 
They shall be surfeited with signs. They shall see until 
they beg to see no more. They shall hear until they shall 
cry for the sound to cease. Moses makes known the 
coming glory, and the people are gay in anticipation of 
Vv'hat to them promises to be a grand holiday with a mag- 
nificent display of heaven's fireworks. The day arrives, 
and the people with excited anticipation press hard 
against the ropes which bound the base of the mountain 
from the curious multitude. At the first display of 
power, the people are pleased and press the harder for 
a nearer view of the glory. Of all the wonders which 
the sightseers have ever witnessed this is the most won- 
derful. Fearing that this faithless, foolish people will 
break through the bounds and be consumed in the coming 
glory, the Lord waits with His wonders while Moses goes 
down to warn the people not to let their lust for won- 
ders lead them to lose their lives. 

When the people were sure they had seen signs 
enough, sure that they should never need to see anv 
more signs as long as they lived ; when they had come 
to the conclusion that they much preferred to believe 
V/ithout signs, the Lord clothed His glory w^ith the cloudy 
covering. The terrible sights, the awful sounds, ceased. 

Then came uneventful days, — just ordinary days, — 
nothing exciting. The days lengthened into twenty, then 
thirty, without signs. Almost forty and nothing to see ! 
The glory gone, the trumpet stilled, the thunder ceased, 
the earthquake quiet, Jehovah silent, Moses out of sight, 
nothing to see ; only the common cloud. *'Be still, and 



226 FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 

know that I am God," But they would not be still and 
believe. "Up, make us gods which shall go before us; 
for as for this Moses, the man which brought us up out 
of the land of Egypt, we wot not what has become of 
him." Make us gods we can see. And they made them 
a molten calf and sang, not the song of Moses, but the 
madman's melody of the molten calf. "These be thy 
gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land 
of Egypt." 

Then appeared the sign of signs. The long-suffering 
Saviour lengthened His love and pardoned this almost un- 
pardonable sin of His stiff-necked people! "His mercy 
endureth forever." 

Reader, I doubt not you are tired of this record of 
repeated unbelief. I hope you are so tired you will stop 
k in your own life. For this purpose was it written in 
the divine record and for this purpose is it presented 
here. "Let us therefore labor to enter into that rest, lest 
any man fall after the same example of unbelief." 

God will make another mighty effort to save them 
from their unbelief. He will let them see once more. 
He has shown them His power in Egypt, His glory at 
Sinai, and now He will show them the plenty of the 
promised land. They are camped at Kadesh Barnea on 
the borders of the land of promise. The spies have re- 
turned, and all Israel are gathered to see the signs of its 
plenty, and to hear of the prospects of an easy possession. 
When they saw the goodly grapes, the pomegranates, 
and the figs, they thought they had faith ; but when they 
heard of the walled cities and the giants, — of the Hivites 
and Jebusites, the Amorites, and Canaanites; when the 
unbelieving spies began lying about the land, they lost 
their courage and began to cry. "And all the congrega- 
tion lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept 



FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 227 

that night" (Num. 14: 1). When the morning came, the 
climax of their cruel unbelief came. 

"And all the children of Israel murmured against 
Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation 
said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land 
of Egypt ! ©r would God we had died in this wilderness ! 
And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land, 
to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children 
should be a prey? were it not better for us to return 
into Egypt? And they said one to another. Let us make 
a captain, and let us return into Egypt." Num. 14: 2-4. 

They had talked before of the flesh-pots of Egypt, 
and wished they were back in Egypt; they had even 
wished that they had died there, or that God had killed 
them in the wilderness, but they had never before deliber- 
ately decided to return into Egypt. Back to the bond- 
age ! Back to the brick kilns ! Back to the beating ! Back 
to the butchers of their baby boys ! Moses falls on his 
face in agony. Caleb and Joshua plant themselves in 
front of the murmuring, maddened mob, and make a 
final effort to stem a fatal stampede back into Egypt. 
Hear their glorious testimony of trust ! Hear their cour- 
ageous cry of unfailing faith ! 

"And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of 
Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, 
rent their clothes: and they spake unto all the company 
of the children of Israel, saying. The land, which we 
passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 
If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this 
land, and give it us ; a land which floweth with milk and 
honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear 
ye the people of the land ; for they are bread for us : 
their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is 
with us : fear them not." Vs. 6-9. 

But the shout of faith is to be answered with a shower 



228 FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 

of stones. The stones of their hearts are now in their 
hands ; and the murmur of the heart is now the murder 
of the hand. The maddened mob cry, "Stone them." 
**A11 the congregation bade stone them with stones. And 
the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the 
congregation before all the children of Israel" (Vs. 
10, 11). The trial is ended. The final, fatal provocation 
has appeared. They are weighed in the balance and 
found wanting. 

They have committed the unpardonable sin. Out of 
the glory, God speaks to Moses these few but fearful 
words : 

''How long will this people provoke me, and how long 
will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I 
have showed among them. I will smite them with the 
pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a 
greater nation and mightier than they." 

And what God here said He would do in their de- 
struction He did perform to the letter. It is true that 
Moses, not knowing that they were beyond hope, and 
thinking another trial might save them, pleaded with God 
to spare them ; and for his sake God forgave them, but 
told Moses to say unto them, "As truly as I live saith 
the Lord, as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to 
you." 

Aroused by the awful doom to which their maddened 
murmuring has driven them, they repeat again their su- 
perficial repentance and offer to go up against their ene- 
mies. But it is now too late. What they were de- 
termined not to do with God, they are now determined 
to do without Him. They will go up alone. "Then the 
Amelekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt 
in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even 
unto Hormah" (Num. 14: 45). In the eyes of the heathen 
the Almighty had been defeated in battle. Baal, the god 




"3 












230 FAULTFINDING FREEDMEN 

of the Canaanites, had beaten Jehovah the God of Jacob ! 

During the forty years that followed, had you listened 
at the campfires of the Canaanites when the warriors 
told their tales of battle and triumph, you would doubt- 
less have heard how Jehovah the God of Jacob came 
with His host to the wall of their inheritance, and how, 
led by Baal, they had given battle, beaten Jehovah, and 
driven Him with His host back to the wilderness. 

After this disgraceful defeat, the trumpet of retreat 
was blown, the pillar of cloud rose from the tabernacle, 
paused a moment, and then moved back into the wilder- 
ness. Jehovah in retreat ! Baal with blazing bonfires on 
every high place, is jubilant because Jehovah has been 
beaten in battle. 

The cloud moves back into the wilderness where the 
host must wander and wait until the faithless have fallen. 
'Tis only a funeral train. They are marching to their 
graves in the desert. The faithless fathers must fall to 
make way for the testing of the children. 



XXXIX 

THE FAITHFUL FREEDMEN 

After forty years of wicked wandering in the wilder- 
ness the trumpet of warning is blown again. The chil- 
dren of the fallen fathers watch the ascending cloud as 
it rises in majesty above the sacred sanctuary, and then 
with the clarion call of the trumpet move back toward the 
promised land. 

'Twas a glorious day in the wilderness, when the trump of God 
was blown, 

And the mighty millions of Israel's host moved on to their prom- 
ised home. 



FA UL TF IN DING FREED MEN 23 1 

At length the Jordan is reached. But it is harvest 
time and its waters have overflowed its banks. God has 
chosen the swelling of Jordan for the testing of His 
people. The command to go over is given, and the chil- 
dren of the faithless fathers fall into rank, and led by 
the priests who bear the ark, move in the majesty of faith 
to the challenging waters. What results for weal or woe 
for the wandering host, are to be revealed in this momen- 
tous moment! Will we hear that murderous murmur so 
often heard in the host of the faithless fathers? Will 
the children cry like the fathers, "Were there not graves 
enough in Egypt where we could be buried, without 
bringing us here to drown us in the Jordan?" No such 
cry is heard. The host moves on. The priests are near- 
ing the brink of the swollen river. Jericho is waiting in 
terror the test at the Jordan. The angels wait beside the 
waters. Jehovah waits. The priests are near the brink. 
Silence reigns; — but it is broken by the tread of the 
priests on the bosom of the troubled waters. The river 
has parted ; its waters are walled. The path is dry. Israel 
has triumphed. Jericho trembles. There is joy in heaven. 

'Twas a glorious day in the wilderness, when the trump of God 
was blown, 

And the mighty millions of Israel's host moved on to their prom- 
ised home; 

When Jehovah's cloud in its glory grand o'er the swelling Jordan 
stood, 

While the men of faith from the wilderness moved on through 
its parting flood. 

'Twas a fearful time in the cities proud, with their ramparts 

high and broad, 
When believing millions crossed the flood through faith" in 

Israel's God. 
Then the giants trembled and quaked with fear in their gilded 

halls of shame, 
When they heard that Jacob had learned to trust in Jehovah's 

mighty name. 
















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THE FAITHFUL FREEDMEN 233 

The reproach of Egypt is rolled away. And the cloud 
that had retreated into the wilderness forty years before, 
now followed by the faithful host, hastens to redeem the 
long-borne defeat. Jericho is chosen to show the power 
of Jehovah when followed by a faithful host. 

"Ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and 
go round about the city once. Thus shall ye do six days. 
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trum- 
pets of rams' horns ; and the seventh day ye shall compass 
the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the 
trumpets. And it shall come to pass that when they make 
a long blast with the rams' horns and when ye hear the 
sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a 
great shout; and the walls of the city shall fall down 
flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight 
before him." Josh. 6:4, 5. 

But will there not be time enough to shout after the 
walls come down. Yes, but it will be the shout of sight, 
of unbelief. It will be the shout of the faithless, fallen 
fathers. ''Without faith it is impossible to please Him." 
Shouting before the walls fall pleases God. Doubting 
before and shouting after displeases Him. But who ever 
heard of the walls of a city being shouted down ! No 
one. No one need to hear of it to have faith in it. It 
was the unheard-of things which God used to test the 
faith of the fathers. But suppose we shout and the walls 
do not come down, what will the warriors of Jericho 
think of us ? These were questions not asked by the chil- 
dren. These were the questions of the fathers whose 
carcasses fell in the wilderness. 

The marches are ended. The faithful host stand 
facing the frowning walls. The blast of the trumpet is 
heard. "And it came to pass that when the people heard 
the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with 
a great shout, that the walls fell down flat, so that the 



234 THE FAITHFUL FREEDMEN 

people went up into the city, every man straight before 
him, and they took the city." Josh. 6 : 3-5, 20. 

The children have stood where the fathers fell. Je- 
hovah has conquered. Jericho has crumbled. ''We walk 
by faith, not by sight." "Without faith it is impossible 
to please Him." ''Now all these things happened unto 
them for ensamples : and they are written for our ad- 
monition unto whom the ends of the world are come. 
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed 
lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10: 11, 12). "Let us labor therefore 
to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same 
example of unbelief." Heb. 4:11. 

'Twas an awful time for the faithless man who refused to leave 

his sin; 
He had failed to learn from the desert tests, and he could not 

enter in. 
But the conquering host by the pillar led moved on to Canaan's 

shore, 
And the faithless fell in the wilderness, for the sifting time was 

o'er. 

'Tis an awful time for the faithless man in the church of God 
today, 

For the final sifting at last has come; he is falling by the way. 

But the justified in their armor bright, and with faith their bat- 
tle cry. 

Are marching today 'gainst the walls of sin, with power from 
on high. 

i 

'Tis a glorious time for the church today; for the trump again 
has blown, 

And the hosts of God by the pillar led, move on to their prom- 
ised home ; 

And the Holy Ghost in the "latter rain" with his peace and jo> 
and power. 

O'er the church now falls with refreshing floods, like a glorious 
summer shower. 



THE FAITHFUL FREEDMEN 235 

Chorus. 
The pillar of cloud is rising! Behold! what a glorious sight I 
It moves toward the land of promise. Awake ! O ye children of 

light ! 
The trump of God is calling the wilderness-wandering host 
Away from the desert sinful; "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." 



XL 

THE ORIGINAL PROCLAMATION, IS IT AUTHENTIC? 

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb 
and by the word of their testimony." Rev. 12: IL 

I shall never forget the hour when the truth and 
power of the above scripture, came to my help in the 
time of temptation. I was delivering a series of dis- 
courses in London on the blighting influence of modern 
Spiritualism. On the third night a number of strangers 
entered the hall, and seated themselves on the front seats. 
I felt, though why I could not tell, forebodings of a 
battle with the dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil 
and Satan. Remembering that to be forewarned is to 
be forearmed, I determined, if possible, to discover the 
enemy. To do this I announced a most thoroughly 
evangelistic hymn, and we sang: 

"I am coming to the cross ; 

I am poor and weak and blind, 
I am counting all but loss, 
I shall full salvation find. 

"1 am trusting, Lord, in Thee, 
Blessed Lamb of Calvary, 
Humbly at Thy cross I bow, 
Save me, Jesus, save me now." 

I watched to see who were for us and who for our 
enemies. The plan succeeded quickly in discovering sev- 



236 THE ORIGINAL PROCLAMATION, 

eral of the enemy, and supposing that those who bowed 
their heads reverently on taking their seats and who sang 
this Gospel hymn freely, were friends, I proceeded with 
the discourse, meeting, as I anticipated, the determined 
resistance of the discovered enemy, manifested in sar- 
castic smiles and whispered ridicule. But the Lord by 
His Spirit triumphed over it all, and the meeting was 
drawing to a successful close, when a gentleman (whom 
I had taken for a friendly, evangelistic clergyman, be- 
cause of the reverence manifested in bowing his head in 
prayer on taking his seat, and because of his singing so 
freely the testing hymn at the opening), begged most 
politely permission to ask the speaker a question. This 
being granted, he arose and addressing the audience, 
said: 

''The speaker of the evening has made the statement 
that the teachings of Spiritualism destroy faith in Jesus 
Christ. This is a strong statement, and I ask for definite 
proof." I replied briefly that Spiritualists who desired 
to become Christians had come to me to be prayed with 
that they might be delivered from the blighting shadow 
of Spiritualism, and that Spiritualists did not believe in 
salvation through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus 
Christ. 

To this the questioner replied that he held in his hand 
the standard book of authority on Spiritualism in the 
Kingdom, and said he would like to read from this book 
what Spiritualists did really believe regarding Jesus 
Christ. Permission being given, he read several para- 
graphs containing beautiful sayings about Christ, — the 
purity and simplicity of His life, His opposition to phari- 
seeism and formality, and many other good things. On 
hearing this the audience seemed troubled, and looked 
at me with expressions on their faces which said inau- 



IS IT AUTHENTIC r 237 

dibly, but plainly, ''Mr. Ballenger, Have you not made a 
mistake in your statements concerning Spiritualism?" 

Seeing their perplexity, I exhorted them to listen at- 
tentively to the gentleman, knowing that it would not 
be long before this wolf in sheep's clothing would be 
unmasked. When he came to a pause, I said, "But, 
neighbor, do Spiritualists believe in salvation through 
faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ?" 

*'I have more that I desire to read," replied the gen- 
tleman, evading the question. 

Then followed more beautiful things about Christ. 
When he came to another stop, with unbounded confi- 
dence in the overcoming power of the blood of the Lamb, 
I asked again, *'But do Spiritualists believe in salvation 
through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus 
Christ?" 

'T have another selection which I desire to read," he 
replied. His evasion of the question only whetted the 
appetite of the audience for his answer. Again he read, 
and read as if afraid to stop for fear the same piercing, 
overcoming, crimson question would be asked. 

At last he paused, and again I asked, "But do Spirit- 
ualists believe in salvation through the atoning blood of 
the Son of God?" He could evade the question no 
longer. After a moment's hesitation, while the crimson 
crept to his cheeks, with a sudden burst of rage he shed 
his sheep's, clothing, and with the howl of a wolf, he 
began railing on "a God that would permit His innocent 
Son to die for a race of criminals." The deception was 
disclosed, the victory won. 

But it was only half won. The blood of the Lamb 
had conquered the gentle, meek-mannered wool-clothed 
deceiver ; but the bristling, fighting, bloodthirsty wolf was 
yet unconquered, and rising again, he returned to the 







s 
o 

s 



o 
^ 



IS IT AUTHENTIC r 239 

charge with the ferocity of a wounded beast. This is 
what he growled : 

**I challenge the speaker to find a text in Matthew, 
Mark, or Luke which declares that salvation is through 
faith in Jesus Christ. It can be found in John, but it 
is not found in any of the other gospels. If it is so im- 
portant a doctrine as you affirm, why is it not found in 
the other books? I challenge you, sir, to find the text 
in the three books named." 

This was a trap, and I quickly fell into it. But I am 
glad now that I did, for I came out of it more than con- 
queror through Him that loved us. Instead of ignoring 
the challenge and declaring that one scripture was all- 
sufficient, I foolishly followed the bait, and turned and 
read the very scripture that the enemy was hoping I 
would read. Turning to the sixteenth chapter of Mark 
I read the 15th and 16th verses. 

"And He said unto them. Go ye into all the world and 
preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth 
and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not 
shall be damned." 

With the flush of certain victory on his face, and in 
tones of triumph, he turned to the audience and said : 

"This man is behind the times ; he is out of date, and 
he has an out-of-date, back-number Bible. I hold in my 
hand the up-to-date Bible. I have the Revised Version, 
and there is in the margin of this Bible opposite the text 
w^hich he read, this note: "The two oldest Greek manu- 
scripts omit from Ver. 9 to the end." 

"And now I ask the gentleman," he continued, "which 
manuscript constitutes his Bible? Which translation is 
your authority? There is not a page of original manu- 
script now in existence; nor is there a copy old enough 
to reach within four hundred years of the times of the 
apostles. How do you know that you have the writings 



240 THE ORIGINAL PROCLAMATION 

of apostles? How can you prove that your book is the 
Word of God?" 

Reader, what answer would you have given? Are 
you able to meet that attack? If not, you are certainly 
defeated in the presence of infidelity, either masked in 
the church, or unmasked in the world. The object of 
the following chapter is to make known the answer to 
those who do not know it, and to point the way to that 
place of power where the question will never be asked. 



XLI 
THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 

There is an answer to the question asked by the in- 
fidel, and the answer, though simple, is charged with a 
power which no man, whether potentate or peasant, or 
body of men, whether sanhedrim of Solons or synagogue 
of Satan, will ever be able to gainsay or resist. This 
overcoming answer is named in the scripture at the head 
of this chapter. 

''And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb 
and by the Word of their testimony/' 

It was with this weapon that I met the second charge 
of the enraged adversary. I testified that I knew the 
book to be the Book of God because of the transforma- 
tion it had wrought in my life, — that whereas once I was 
the slave of sinful habits, now I was free. Freedom had 
come into my life through faith in the promises recorded 
in the Book. 

The reader may have expected a more scholarly, criti- 
cal analysis of the comparative claims to genuineness and 
authenticity of the various manuscripts of the Old and 
New Testaments. He may have looked for an answer 



THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 241 



more powerful. There is no answer more powerful. It 
ib the answer of the seeing man, born blind, to the quib- 
bling questions of the blind pharisees. "One thing 1 
know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." It is the 
companion answer to that one at the Beautiful Gate, con- 
cerning which this is written : 

''And beholding the man which was healed standing 
with them they could say nothing against it." It is the 
sin-sick man, now healed, who answers the questions of 
the critics as to the genuineness of the manuscript. 

Note this illustration: A man is hobbling along the 
street with a cane in each hand, his face the very picture 
of pain, stiff in every joint, sore in every muscle. A 
gentleman meets him with the sympathizing remark: 

''Good afternoon, friend. You appear to be a great 
sufferer. It is rheumatism, I suppose." 

"Yes, it is rheumatism, and I have suffered from it 
for twenty years. It has grown steadily worse. I am 
regarded as incurable by the physicians, and I'm only 
trying to be patient until the end comes, which I hope will 
be soon." 

"Don't despair, you can be cured," replies the sym- 
pathizing stranger. "I suffered with rheumatism as long 
as you have, and was as badly crippled. But this remedy 
(drawing a paper from his pocket) was recommended to 
me. I took the treatment and am cured. There is not 
a stiff joint nor sore muscle in my body, and I am en- 
tirely free from pain." 

"Do you mean to say that you had rheumatism as 
badly as I have, and that this remedy (taking the manu- 
script) cured you?" 

"That is just what I said, and that is what I mean, 
and I can bring witnesses in abundance, among them my 
Vv'ife and children, who will testify to the physical trans- 
formation which that remedy has wrought in my life." 



242 THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 

At this point a third man approaches, addressing the 
sufferer thus: 

"You appear to be greatly afflicted. I judge you are 
suffering with rheumatism." 

''Yes, but I am just now intensely interested in a 
remedy for rheumatism which this gentleman has handed 
me, and which he positively affirms cured him after he 
had been afflicted as long and as sorely as I." 

''Will you kindly let me see the remedy?" says the 
third man. 

"Certainly." 

"This is written in Greek, is it not? I cannot read 
Greek; will you kindly translate it for me?" The first 
gentleman reads the remedy. 

"That's all right, that's all right," replies the third 
gentleman enthusiastically. "It is a perfect and perma- 
nent cure. I have a copy of the same remedy written in 
Latin (produces an old manuscript), and it was this 
remedy that cured me after twenty-five years of torture. 
And it will cost you nothing. You can have a copy of it 
without money and without price. It cost me nothing, 
and it will cost you nothing. All we ask in return is 
that when you are cured, you will recommend the remedy 
to others." 

At this point, a fourth man joins the group, and on 
learning the subject of conversation, asks to see the won- 
derful remedy, and is handed the Greek copy. 

"I cannot read Greek, I am sorry to say," says this 
fourth gentleman. 

"Let him see your Latin copy, friend," says number 
two, addressing the third gentleman. 

"Neither can I read Latin," says number four, "I 
have forgotten practically all I learned of the language 
while at college." (Third man translates the Latin copy.) 

"That's the remedy. That's the remedy," says the 



THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 243 

fourth man animatedly. "That's the cure for rheumatism ! 
Here is the same one, only in English (producing a 
printed paper). The remedy is perfectly reliable. It 
cured me when I was within a step of the grave; and I 
have known of many others whom it has cured. I was 
once as sorely afflicted as you, friend, and I was cured, — 
permanently cured, — by that simple remedy. I can pro- 
duce many witnesses from among my family and friends 
who wall testify to the cure it has effjected in me." 

Reader, do you not see the force of all this ? Would 
not the sufferer from rheumatism be foolish in the face 
of all this living testimony, to begin to quibble about 
whether the Greek copy shown him was the original copy, 
or whether the others were faithful translations ? Would 
not the cured man before him bear testimony to the gen- 
uineness and authenticity of the remedy? What matters 
i< to him whether the copies shown him are the originals, 
or copies of the originals, or copies from copies of the 
originals; translations, or translations from translations, 
just so they contain the cure^ 

The whole w^orld is sick with sin. "All have sinned 
and come short of the glory of God." The Bible from 
cover to cover presents God's remedy for sin. "They 
shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people 
from their sins." But the remedy was never ordained to 
go on its mission alone. The great commission does not 
read, "Send Bibles into all the world," but, "Go ye into 
all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" ; 
"Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord" ; "Ye shall be 
witnesses unto Me . . . unto the uttermost parts of the 
earth" ;. "Ye are our epistles, written in our hearts, known 
and read of all men" ; "Ye are the light of the world" ; 
"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and 
we beheld His glory" ; "In Him was life, and the life was 
the light of men" ; "Let your light so shine before men 



244 THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 

that they may see your good works and glorify your 
Father which is in heaven." 

In continuing the illustration, suppose the sufferer 
from rheumatism should have discovered a time-stained 
copy of the remedy for rheumatism among some old cast- 
away documents in an obscure nook in the garret. How 
could he be sure that the remedy was reliable? How 
could he tell whether it would kill or cure? As he sits 
in pain and reads the promised cure, in his perplexity and 
doubt, what is it that is needed to inspire faith in the 
remedy? There is needed the recommendation of a man 
who has been redeemed from rheumatism by the power 
of that remedy. 

This is not saying that the Spirit of God could not 
persuade the sin-sick man to test the treatment without 
a living witness. ''All things are possible with God." 
But God's ordained plan for the proclamation of His 
remedy for sin, is to put His Spirit on the living witness, 
and thereby qualify the cured man with power to bear 
testimony to the cure. 

The promised Pentecostal power did not fall on the 
manuscript, but on the man. The message of the manu- 
script was given by inspiration of God, and needed not 
*the baptism of power. It was the people of the upper 
room, not the parchment, which needed the Pentecostal 
power. It is the man who carries a copy of the God- 
breathed remedy for sin in his hand, and a sample of its 
cure in his heart, whom God baptizes with power from 
on high, which all his ''adversaries shall not be able to 
gainsay or resist." 

There were disputes about the manuscripts in the 
days of Christ's ministry; the Samaritan doctors denied 
the genuineness of all the Old Testament save the five 
books of Moses. The Sadducees questioned the authen- 
ticity of some of the prophets. But among all the ques- 



THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 245 

tions which Christ was called upon to answer, there was 
not one concerning the genuineness of the manuscript. 
And why? Because the cured man, the manuscript-made 
flesh, was manifest before them. And they were too busy 
fighting the ''Word made flesh" to find time to fight the 
Word in manuscript. So long as they could not resist 
the living demonstration of the power of the book, why 
attack the book? Why attack the prophets of the resur- 
rection, while the promise lives in a living Lazarus? It 
was Christ the life-giver, and Lazarus the living life, 
which the higher critics sought to kill in the days of old. 

What did the fishermen, Peter and John, know about 
the quibbles of the higher critics? They were schooled 
in the nibbling of the fish, but not in the quibbling of 
the Pharisees. When brought before the higher critics 
for examination, they were not questioned concerning the 
quibbles regarding the genuineness of the book, but con- 
cerning the cripple who was healed at the Beautiful Gate, 
the genuineness of whose healing they could not deny. 
And what astonished these higher critics most after their 
astonishment at the miracle of the healed man, was the 
boldness of Peter and John who knew nothing about the 
higher criticism, and who were, therefore, in their estima- 
tion, only unlearned and ignorant men. Let us read this 
interesting story : 

"Now Peter and John went up together into the 
temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And 
a certain man lame from his mother's womb, was car- 
ried, w^hom they laid at the gate of the temple, which 
was called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered 
into the temple. Who, seeing Peter and John about to 
go into the temple, asked an alms. And Peter, fasten- 
ing his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And 
he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something 
from them. Then Peter said : Silver and gold have I 



246 THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 

none, but such as I have give I unto thee: In the name 
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he 
took him by the right hand and hfted him up ; and im- 
mediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And 
he, leaping up, stood and walked with them into the 
temple, walking and leaping, and praising God. 

"And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 
And they knew that it was he who sat for alms at the 
Beautiful Gate: and they were filled with wonder and 
amazement at that which had happened unto him. And 
as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, 
all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is 
called Solomon's Porch, greatly wondering. 

"And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people. 
Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this : or why look 
ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or 
holiness we had made this man to walk: The God of 
Abraham, and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our 
fathers, hath glorified His son Jesus : whom ye delivered 
up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he 
was determined to let Him go. But ye denied the Holy 
One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted 
unto you, and killed the Prince of Life whom God hath 
raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. And 
His name, through faith in His name, hath made this 
man strong whom ye see and know. Yea, the faith which 
is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the 
presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that 
through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers ; but 
those things which God hath showed by the mouth of all 
His prophets, that Christ should suffer. He hath so ful- 
filled." Acts 3: 1-18. 

The boldness of Peter and John at the trial that fol- 
lowed was encouraged by the presence of the standing, 
walking, leaping, praising demonstration of the healing 



THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 247 

power of the Christ, promised in the manuscript of "all 
the prophets." Hence what we need today is the cured, 
converted man, the Word made flesh, to bear testimony 
to the genuineness of the Word made manuscript. 

Peter and John, and the rest of the little band, knew 
that they were "unlearned and ignorant men." They real- 
ized their need of the all-wise, all-powerful Leader and 
Redeemer to continue His demonstrations of the healing, 
converting power promised in the parchments of the 
prophets, in order that they might continue their bold- 
ness in preaching the promises of the Word. Conse- 
quently on returning from the threatening council, they 
called a prayer meeting, and this is what they prayed : 

"And now. Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant 
unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak 
Thy word, by stretching forth Thy hand to heal ; and 
that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy 
holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed the place 
was shaken where they were assembled together; and 
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake 
the Word of God with boldness." Acts 4:29, 3L 

Since the genuineness and authenticity of God's rem- 
edy for sin, — the Gospel, — is demonstrated only by the 
cured or converted sinner, it is clear to all that the lack 
of the living witness, — the converted man, — leaves the 
world to doubt the genuineness of the remedy. Here lies 
the reason for the startling increase of infidelity in the 
church regarding the inspiration of the Scriptures. 

My own experience bears testimony to this truth. 
When, through failure to follow faithfully God's formula 
for the cure and prevention of sin, I find myself the vic- 
tim of the disease, the first temptation is to question the 
remedy. But on the other hand, when faithfully fol- 
lowing the treatment prescribed, I find myself spiritually 
well and strong, my confidence in the cure is unbounded. 



■248 THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY 

When I fail to let the remedy doctor me, I feel I must 
doctor the remedy. Herein lies the difficulty of today. 

*'In the last days perilous times shall come, for men 
shall be lovers of their own. selves, covetous, boasters, 
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, 
unholy, . . . lovers of pleasure more than lovers of 
God ; having a form of godliness but denying the power- 
thereof." 2 Tim. 3 : 1-5. 

Thus it is seen that the last-day perils proceed not 
from the infidel outside of the church, but from the man 
inside the church who has the form of godliness but not 
the power. It is this man that is criticising the in- 
spiration of the manuscript, and the genuineness of its 
cure. The cured are never critics, and the critics are 
never cured. 



XLII 
FALSE WITNESSES 



Returning to the illustration of the preceding chap- 
ter, — what impression would be made on the rheumatic 
sufferer, should thirty other men join the group and pro- 
fess to have been cured by the treatment, when their wan 
faces, wasted forms, and limping walk, testified that the 
treatment had not cured them? Would not the influence 
of these thirty men have a tendency to discourage the 
rheumatic sufferer in his hope of a cure? Are not the 
thirty men who claim to have taken the cure, but who are 
not cured, bearing witness against the remedy? What a 
perplexity confronts the man! Three witnesses for and 
thirty against the cure ! If he decides to take the treat- 
ment, he must believe the testimony of the three and dis- 
credit the thirty. And what are the three to do if they 



FALSE IVITNESSES 249 

save the sufferer from rejecting the remedy? Must they 
not above all, convince the man that they are cured? 
Must not their testimony be so true and faithful, and 
so enthusiastic, and the evidence of a cure so apparent 
as to cause the sufferer to discredit the statement of the 
thirty who say that they have faithfully followed the 
remedy ? 

This illustrates the peril unto which the Gospel of 
salvation has come in our day. Once the adversary 
worked to destroy the Gospel by destroying those who 
could witness to its cure. Now he works to destroy con- 
fidence in the cure by means of a counterfeit cure, a cure 
which claims to be genuine, but which has only the form 
without its power. It is by means of these many false 
witnesses which he has sent out into the world that he 
is destroying faith in the saving power of the Gospel, — 
men who profess to be Christians, cured men, but whose 
love of the world, love of money, love of pleasure, or 
love of applause, prove that their claim to be cured of 
all these carnal afflictions is false. 

Before leaving this phase of the subject, let me ask, 
What would you think, reader, of a man or a woman, — 
a crippled, deformed, limping rheumatic sufferer, — who 
would go from house to house recommending a cure for 
rheumatism? And what would you think of such a per- 
son condemning another for not receiving the remedy 
which he recommends with his lips, but belies with his 
life? 

Oh, how many fathers and mothers have upbraided 
their sons and daughters for not receiving Christ when 
their own limping lives bear witness that they themselves 
have not received Him ! How many husbands, and how- 
many wives, condemn their unbelieving companions un- 
der the same sad circumstances ! How many spiritually 
diseased and deformed professing Christians criticise 



250 FAL^E WITNESSES 

their unbelieving neighbors and friends for not professing 
the Christ when they themselves are condemned by their 
own lives ! 

It is the spiritual cripples who have not faithfully 
submitted to the treatment, and who have not been cured, 
who throw doubt and discredit on God's remedy for sin. 
And it is from among these who have a form of godli- 
ness without the power — who profess to be cured with- 
out being cured — that the criticism of the cure is coming. 

After stating that this condition would characterize 
the church in the last days, the apostle-prophet, knowing 
that this would mean an attack on the Scriptures, follows 
his prediction of last-day formality with a testimony to 
the saving power, inspiration, and all-sufficiency of the 
message of the manuscript, and calls for a faithful preach- 
ing of that Word, in view of the fatal falling away from 
its faith to the fables of men. 

**But continue thou in the things which thou hast 
learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou 
hast learned them ; and that from a child thou hast 
known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee 
wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and 
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness ; that the man of God may 
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord 
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at 
His appearing and His kingdom ; preach the word ; be 
instant in season, out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort 
with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will 
come when they will not endure sound doctrine ; but after 
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, 
having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears 



FALSE WITNESSES 251 

from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 
3: 14-17; 4: 1-4. 

It was the Word made flesh in the Master, and the 
same Word made flesh in His followers, which silenced 
the critics in the days of Christ and His apostles. There 
was no chance to criticise the inspiration and integrity of 
the Book, so long as all the promises of the parchment 
were living realities in the life and labor of its apostles. 

What is the meaning, therefore, of the boldness and 
defiance of this last-day departure from, and denunciation 
of the old-time faith in the integrity and inspiration of 
the Book? The cause is well-nigh lost, from a military 
point of view, when the friends of the cause are beaten 
at the front, and the enemy has captured the base of 
supplies with its stores of food for the fighting men at 
the front and their munitions of war. The ease with 
which the enemy attacks the inspiration of the Book, — 
the base of supplies for the Christian campaign, — speaks 
loudly of the weakness of the warrior at the front. 

The writer boldly charges that the startling criticism 
of the manuscript today, is due entirely to the weakness 
of the professed warriors of Christ whose "form of god- 
liness without the power" unfits them to face the foe, and 
thus leaves the witnessing word to fall into the hands of 
the enemies of the cause of Christ. 

But although this is our position and this our peril, 
there is hope. Though the case seemed hopelessly lost 
to the lonely prophet, the Lord informed him of seven 
thousand who had not yet bowed the knee to the con- 
quering Baal. This is not the first time the Philistines 
have defeated and disarmed the host of God. 



252 HOW THE CAUSE WAS ONCE SAVED 



XLIII 

HOW THE CAUSE WAS ONCE SAVED 

Once, when the cause was lost, and the warriors dis- 
armed and the nation enslaved, a single sword saved the 
day. Israel had sinned and lost his boldness in battle. 
The Philistines had conquered and carried away his 
weapons of war. "There was neither sword nor spear 
found in the hand of any of the people that were with 
Saul and Jonathan : but with Saul and with Jonathan his 
son was there found" (1 Sam. 13:22). Also, there was 
no chance of making any swords, for, ''there was no 
smith found throughout all the land of Israel : for the 
Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or 
spears. But all the Israelites went down to the Philis- 
tines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, 
and his ax and his mattock." Vs. 19, 20. 

All was quiet so long as Israel was satisfied to be 
slaves of the Philistines and farm for a livelihood, and 
keep the two swords in their scabbards. But one of the 
swordbearers was determined to fight for deliverance 
from this disgraceful slavery. 

"And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines 
that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it" ( 1 Sam. 
13:3). "And the Philistines gathered themselves to- 
gether to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and 
six hundred thousand horsemen, and people as the sand 
which is on the seashore in multitude, and they came up, 
and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. 

"When the men of Israel saw that they were in a 
strait (for the people were distressed) then the people 



HOJV THE CAUSE WAS ONCE SAVED 253 

did hide themselves in caves and in thickets, and in rocks, 
and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews 
went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As 
for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people (about 
six hundred men) followed him trembling." 1 Sam. 
13:5-7. 

In some respects this is a striking representation of 
the situation as it stands today between the forces of the 
church and the world. Through departing from God the 
church today has practically lost to the enemy "the sword 
of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." There are 
some, like Saul, who still have their swords, but they are 
afraid to use them because of the presence of the great 
multitude of destructive Philistine critics, who have de- 
feated and disarmed the great majority of their sin- 
v/eakened brother warriors. The church has ceased to 
be aggressive. Some have gone over to the enemy, some 
have crawled into silent seclusion, and the remainder, 
swordless and scared, are trembling around the sword- 
sheathed Saul and the sacred ark. 

But, though the situation today, as in the days of 
Saul, is desperate, it is not hopeless. The deliverance 
can and will be wrought now as it was wrought then. 
Jonathan still possessed a sword, and unlike Saul, he had 
faith in its cutting qualities. It made no difference to 
him whether his father, or any of the fathers of Israel, 
had faith to fight, he would go up against the enemy 
alone. 

''And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his 
armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of 
these uncircumcised : it may be that the Lord will work 
for us : for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by 
many or by few.'' 1 Sam. 14 : 6. 

Here lies the secret of Jonathan's success. Jonathan 



254 HOW THE CAUSE WAS ONCE SAVED 

believed in miracles. He believed in miracles, — not mira- 
cles only in the days of Moses, but in the days of Jona- 
than. Only by a miracle can God save by few or by 
many. Here is the weak spot in the v^arrior of today. 
He does not believe in the miraculous power behind the 
sword of the Spirit. If he has not yet repudiated the 
possibility of Moses' miracles, he has forsaken the pos- 
sibility of modern miracles, which is the same thing in its 
practical effect on the fighting forces of his faith. 

"And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon 
his feet, . . . and they fell before Jonathan, and his 
armor-bearer [who doubtless had captured a sword from 
the enemy] slew after him. . . . And there was trem- 
bling in the host, in the field, and among all the people ; 
the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and 
the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling." 
Verse 13. 

The trembling is now transferred from the swordless 
six hundred at Migron to the scattered millions at Mich- 
mash. 

"And Saul and all the people that were with him as- 
sembled themselves and they came to the battle. . . . 
Moreover, the Hebrews that were with the Philistines 
before that time, which went up with them into the 
camp from the country round about, even they also 
turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and 
Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid 
themselves in Mt. Ephraim, when they heard that the 
Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them 
in the battle. So the Lord saved Israel that day." 1 Sam. 
14:20-23. 

In like manner will Israel be saved today. Come, 
reader, let us go up against these uncircumcised enemies 
of God's Word. I still have a sword, thank the Lord, — 



HOIV THE CAUSE WAS ONCE SAVED 255 

a sword sharpened at God's great grindstone, personal 
experience, — a sword whose keen edge has never been 
ground dull on the grindstone of modern criticism. 

Leave the swordless six hundred who tremble for the 
safety of the ark. God will take care of the ark. The 
base of supplies is safe at the rear, while we faithfully 
fight at the front. Up, comrades, let us go to the front ! 
God will defend the Book. 

It is not the Word made manuscript that is to meet 
the enemy in battle, but the Word made man. The sword 
of the Spirit which triumphed in Christ and again in the 
apostles, was the Word made iiesh. It was this living 
witness-warrior that was baptized with fire and power 
at Pentecost, who conquered the critics at Jerusalem and 
at Athens, that transferred the fight from the Word made 
manuscript to the Word made man. 

It is this class of warriors that will rescue the Book 
today from the hands of the Philistine critics. And when 
this shall be done, then the trembling will be transferred 
from the camp of the saints to the camp of the critics ; 
then the disarmed, defeated dominie who has crawled into 
silent seclusion at the approach of the hostile host of 
modern critics, will crawl out of his hiding and seize a 
sword wrested from the enemy by some Jonathan and his 
armor-bearer, and join the victorious chase. Indeed, it 
may then be as before, that some who in their weakness 
have gone over to the Philistines, — some who are counted 
in the camp of the critics, — will turn to be with Jonathan 
and his conquering host. 

Now in closing this thought, let the writer introduce 
another paragraph from his fighting experience to con- 
firm that which has been written. 



256 PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 



XLIV 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 

It was in the midst of a series of successful revival 
services that a man called upon me at my lodgings. With 
abundance of self-confidence he began the interview by 
informing me that there was positively no reality in that 
Gospel which I was preaching; that the whole thing, — 
Bible and all, — was a gigantic fraud. 

"What do you know about it?" I asked. "Were you 
ever a Christian?" 

"Oh, yes," was the confident reply. "I have been 
through the whole thing. I have been in the church and 
now I am out. And there is absolutely nothing in it." 

Looking the stranger straight in the eye, I said: 
"Friend, did you ever experience the power of the Gos- 
pel to save you from enslaving, besetting sins which you 
had struggled in vain to conquer? Did you ever experi- 
ence the power of the Gospel to save you from selfishness 
and self-esteem, from harboring hardness in your heart 
for an enemy who had wronged you, from unclean 
thoughts and selfish ambitions? Did you ever experience 
the power of God to deliver you from these fleshly lusts 
and keep you delivered?" 

This was a dangerous question, and like the Pharisees 
of old when they were questioned, he dreaded to answer. 
No wonder he was afraid. If he answered, "Yes," he 
was a liar, because he had said the whole thing was a 
fraud. If he answered "No," he was a liar, because he 
had said he had explored all there was to experience. He 
hesitated, but finally answered "No." 



PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 257 

"Come, my brother," I continued, "you are condemn- 
ing that about which you know nothing. You remind me 
of the boy who lacked the shilHng necessary to admit 
him to the exposition, but who, when the other boys came 
out, attempted to tell them what was and what was not 
inside. You have never been inside ; how can you tell 
me that there is nothing in it? Come inside, experience 
the power of the Gospel, and then you will be able to 
talk more intelligently of what there is in it." Subdued 
and humbled, he went away. 

Do you see what it was that defeated him? He came 
prepared to talk wisely on the mistakes of Moses and 
the manuscripts, on their integrity and inspiration; but 
before he reached the Book, he was mortally wounded 
by a thrust from the sword of the Spirit, — "the Word 
made flesh," or personal experience. "They overcame 
him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their 
testimony." Oh, for men who have an overcoming tes- 
timony to bear to the power of the Gospel to heal and 
to keep strong! 

But there are so many who have tampered with the 
treatment instead of faithfully following the Gospel di- 
rections, and who in consequence are not cured ; and what 
is worse, have lost confidence in the cure ; and who not 
only are not able to bear testimony to its power, but by 
life and lips are witnessing against it. Faithful witness 
must here be borne to the sad fact that it is more diflicult 
to bring real salvation to the gray-haired churchman who 
has all his life held back a part of the price, and who, in 
consequence, has forty years of experimental failure to 
fall back on, when told of the saving and keeping power 
of the Gospel, than it is to save the harlot and the pub- 
lican. 

It stands to reason that when a man or woman has 



258 PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 

taken a certain remedy for a certain disease for forty 
years without experiencing a cure, it is hard to restore 
confidence in the remedy. It is tampering with the rem- 
edy instead of faithfully taking it, that leads to its re- 
pudiation and its fearful consequences. 

''Except a man forsake all that he hath, he cannot be 
My disciple." "Neither yield ye your members as instru- 
ments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves 
unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your 
members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 



Once I was drifting away with the tide, 

The sport of the wind and the wave; 
The storms of temptation were driving my bark 

To find 'neath the breakers a grave. 
"Lengthen your cable, the anchor will hold," 

I heard 'bove the roar of the blast; 
I lengthened my cable, O praise ye the Lord, 

My anchor is holding at last. 

Chorus. 
It holds, hallelujah, it holds, it holds! 

My anchor's holding fast; 
The Rock of the Ages unmovable stands, 

My anchor holds at last. 
It holds, hallelujah, it holds, it holds! 

The cable bears the shock; 
The waves of temptation dash harmlessly by 

I'm anchored to the Rock. 

Since I was rescued from drifting and death, 

I've breasted the wind and the wave; 
And given my life with a joy that is new. 

Poor, perishing sinners to save. 
"Lengthen your cable, the anchor will hold," 

I've cried to the wrecks as they passed; 
Some lengthened their cables, O praise ye the Lord, 

And anchored with me from the blast. 



PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 259 

Thousands of churchmen are drifting today, 

As wrecks in the storm and the cold; 
By drifting, my brother, you say to the lost, 

"The anchor of God will not hold." 
Lengthen your cable, the anchor will hold; 

The word of the Lord cannot fail ; 
Yes, lengthen your cable, O glory to God, 

I'm anchored at last from the gale. 

Oh, who is there drifting, all helpless today, 

By tempest of passion or pride, 
A wreck rushing on to the breakers of death. 

Quick ! Anchor your bark by my side. 
Lengthen your cable, the anchor will hold, 

I know, for my anchor is fast ; 
Yes, lengthen your cable, O praise ye the Lord, 

My anchor is holding at last. 



XLV 
A WONDERFUL DELIVERANCE FROM SIN AND SICKNESS 

''O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good ; for 
His mercy endureth forever." 

"O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name; 
make known His deeds among the people." 

It is in response to this exhortation of the Lord to 
tell of His goodness, that these lines are written. 

My heart was in such a condition that at any moment 
it was liable to cease to act. My nerves were shattered, 
my bowels had no power to act without artificial aid. 1 
went to the infirmary at Peterboro (England) and was 
treated for six months, but came home no better. 

All the while I was troubled with dropsical swellings ; 
sometimes my face, then my feet, legs and hands. It was 
thought a bath cabinet would help me, and one was pro- 
cured. I would sit in this from one to three hours to 



260 A WONDERFUL DELIVERANCE 

help keep back the swelling. I would faint over and over 
again, but only by that means was the swelling kept down. 
But I seemed to have got a ray of hope regardless of out- 
ward appearances, and I battled on for my life. Days 
of weariness and suffering constitute my history, espe- 
cially from the age of seventeen to thirty-three. But at 
this time I met with an experience which brought my suf- 
ferings to an end and it is now eighteen months since I 
was delivered from the bondage of sickness. My heart 
burns to tell the sweet story of deliverance from sin and 
sickness. 

I was then in a little company of believers in South 
Wales where I had gone in search of health. A good 
brother came there to hold meetings for the benefit of 
the little company. The first night he told us of deliver- 
ance from sin, and declared liberty to the captives. He 
dwelt on the thought that when the Lord died on the 
cross we died with Him. When He entered "within the 
veil" and was seated on the right hand of God, we en- 
tered with Him. Continuing, he said: "Likewise reckon 
ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive 
unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." One of the 
company saw the liberty and was set free that night. A 
new experience marked his life. I was feeling somewhat 
depressed, and was not ready to shout victory. The next 
night the minister went further and said, if we would by 
faith reckon ourselves dead unto sin, the Lord would care 
for the result. We were already free, would we not be- 
lieve it ? The Lord desired us to believe. He said, "Sin 
shall not have dominion over you." It was the word of 
the Lord, and God's word was true. I thought, That is 
good, but how can I reckon that I am dead when the old 
nature is there warring all the time, constantly asserting 
itself ? Certainly I was not dead. I felt more miserable 
than ever before, but said nothing. 



FROM SIN AND SICKNESS 261 

I went to bed that night feehng very unhappy, and if 
ever my Hfe looked black, it did then. I saw nothing but 
pride, selfishness, boasting, evil thinking, evil speaking, 
yea, every evil thing seemed to be bottled up in my wicked 
heart. I felt that I knew something of the experience of 
the sinner in the last great day when he shall call for the 
rocks and mountains to hide him from the face of Him 
who sitteth upon the throne. I trembled, for I was under 
condemnation. I realized there was nothing for me to do 
but to fall helpless on the Lord. I could not change my- 
self, but in the quiet hours of the night I cried to God 
for deliverance, and the Lord set me free ! I could now 
say with Hezekiah, ''Behold for peace I had great bitter- 
ness, but now thou hast in love to my soul cast all my sins 
behind my back." 

The meetings continued for ten days. Each night 
some were stepping into the liberty proclaimed for them, 
and many gained victory over besetting sins. After 
reckoning myself to be dead, the next thing was to be 
buried with Him in baptism to arise to walk in newness 
of life. I was feeling very weak, and was suffering a 
good deal of pain, but said nothing. When I went to the 
water I felt for a moment like fainting; and my heart 
beat heavily. But I lifted up my soul to God with, "Lord, 
help me ! " and it seemed as if I was carried into the water 
with some strong, loving arms. And I was. "Underneath 
are the everlasting arms." I was safe and feared noth- 
ing, and it is needless to say felt no ill effects, although it 
was in the month of January and the water was cold. 

Next day brought our meetings to a close. We had 
a service in the afternoon in the sick-room of a sister 
who could not attend. Only a few were present in that 
little study. The thought was brought out that this Gos- 
pel takes in the whole being, body and soul. It brings 
complete deliverance to every captive. I remember very 



262 A WONDERFUL DELIVERANCE 

little that was said. I was feeling quite poorly and in 
much pain, but no one knew it. I feared to let any one 
know just how I felt lest they should hinder my going. 
But I remember, Brother Ballenger turned to the eighth 
chapter of Matthew and read, "When the even was come, 
they brought unto Him many that were possessed with 
devils, and He cast out the spirits with His word, and 
healed all that were sick; that it might be fulfilled which 
was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying. Himself took 
our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." 

Those words riveted themselves in my mind. He 
bore my sickness ! I repeated it over and over again. 
He bore my sicknesses. If He bore my sickness, why do 
I bear it? He bore my sins, why so? In order that I 
might not bear them. I had given Him all my sins, and 
could sing, 

"My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought — 
My sin — not in part, but the whole, 
Is nailed to His Cross, and I bear it no more, 
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul !" 

Why could I not give Him my sickness, too ? Surely 
He bore it in order that I might not bear it, else would 
it be in vain that He bore it. There and then I told the 
Lord to take me, body and soul, only to use me for His 
service. Since He bore my sins, why need I be chained 
down any longer? Since He bore my sickness, why need 
I remain in my bondage, and why had I been bound 
down so many years I would venture to believe the 
promise, and that moment I was free! My pain ceased 
just at the moment I believed. After a few hours I had 
the use of my bowels, which I had not had for six years 
without artificial means. That night I went to bed with 
not a sign of swelling about me for the first time for 



FROM SIN AND SICKNESS 263 

twelve years, and to this day I have never seen a sign 
of it. 

I said nothing at the time. I was tempted to say noth- 
ing until I should see how I came out ; but the temptation 
was resisted. That same evening I said a few words. My 
heart was too full for words, and I longed to be alone with 
God to pour out my soul in thanksgiving to Him for all 
He had done for my soul and body in one short week. 
I felt no excitement, but my heart was filled with peace 
unspeakable. The devil tempted me very much to keep 
silent, but I could not. I commenced to write and tell 
others of my deliverance. No one who has not been in 
affliction can enter into the feelings of a well body. No 
one who does not know what it is to be either tossed on a 
bed of pain, not knowing which way to turn, or sinking 
from exhaustion, wondering if the thread of life will hold 
out until morning, when days and weeks, months and 
years have been spent in such sickness, can understand it. 
And then for that one to realize freedom from it all! 
It is past telling! To get up day after day, feeling well; 
to go to bed assured of a good night's rest, is wonder- 
fully sweet, after so many years of weariness. 

But after all, freedom from the old carnal nature is 
sweeter. To know that God for Christ's sake has for- 
given all my sins and saves me from my sins, and gives 
me the promise that He will keep me in the hour of temp- 
tation, and one day will present me before the Father 
faultless, — this exceeds it all. It is this joy that is my 
strength day by day. Truly the joy of the Lord is my 
strength. I have been tempted over and over again since 
that time; the devil has brought all manner of objections 
to me. He has told me I am not healed, that I would 
find I was not. How could I expect to be healed all in a 
moment; it is presumption on my part. I had better be 



264 A WONDERFUL DELIVERANCE 

quiet lest I break down again and give people occasion to 
ridicule. They would only laugh at me. 

On one occasion the devil almost overcame me by his 
doubts. I had been busy all the day, and I think had 
walked about five miles, but felt no ill effects, — no more 
than any ordinary person would after that walk. I went 
to bed feeling strong and well, but in the night I awoke 
just as I often used to when I was sick. I felt the same 
old feeling coming on, f aintness .and weakness, and for a 
moment I thought, After all, am I deceived? Is it all a 
myth ? When quick to my rescue came the words, 'T am 
the Lord that healeth thee" ; ''Bless the Lord O my soul, 
who forgiveth thine iniquities, who healeth all thy dis- 
eases ; who redeemeth thy life from destruction ; who 
crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 
who satisfieth thy mouth with good things ; so that thy 
youth is renewed like the eagle" ; 'They that wait upon 
the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up 
with wings as eagles ; they shall run and not be weary ; 
and they shall walk and not faint." And with, "It is writ- 
ten," the tempter was gone. My strength was renewed. 
I did not faint, I felt strong, and fell asleep. In the morn- 
ing I awoke happy in the victory the Lord had given me. 

Constantly I am tempted to be silent and not tell what 
God has done, but I know it is of the devil, and if I stop 
and listen to him I will soon be brought into doubt. 
"They overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb and by 
the word of their testimony." I know that to claim de- 
liverance from sin and sickness eighteen months ago is 
not enough for today. I recognize that grace for yester- 
day will not serve me for today. What I gather from 
God today, of grace, will not suffice for tomorrow. But 
O, I know by blessed experience that the same God who 
gave me strength yesterday is all-sufficient for today. 
The same God who keeps me today is well able to keep 



FROM SIN AND SICKNESS 265 

me tomorrow; and I can say with one of old, "I know 
in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is 
able to keep that which I have committed unto Him 
against that day." 

what a wonderful cure! I shall never weary tell- 
ing it. How can I weary ? 

"I love to tell the story, 'tis pleasant to repeat, 
And every time I tell it, 'tis more wonderfully sweet. 
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me, 
And this is just the reason I tell it now to thee." 

And so the Lord has kept me day by day by simply 
believing His word. I am well all the time, and have 
been ever since. Never since the day of deliverance 
have I had to resort to any aid to the once almost para- 
lyzed bowels. Never have I fainted from exhaustion 
since that time. Never have I had to resort to the bath 
cabinet to keep back the dreaded swelling. Never has 
my poor weak heart troubled me in the least. Never has 
my back pained me as before. Previous to that I never 
knew freedom from pain. In short, I am well all the time. 
My friends who knew me in times past, and see me now, 
can only say, "What hath God wrought !" 

1 will now lay down my pen with wonder and amaze- 
ment, and weep tears of joy at the readiness with which 
the Lord accepts me. O for power to make known the 
wonderful works of God ! O for the witnessing power ! 
I have so much to tell, and so little power to tell it. But 
now, just now, I claim the promise of the Father, "If ye 
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your 
children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father 
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." While I 
write and meditate on 'all God's dealings with me, my 
soul is blessed beyond measure. And without any glory 
to myself, I believe some one who reads this will be en- 



266 A WONDERFUL DELIVERANCE 

couraged to ask more largely at the Lord's hands. This 
is all I want; this is all I ask. Nothing else do I desire 
in the whole earth but to bring glory to His great name, 
to make Him a praise in the earth. O, that it may be 
said in all this, "And they glorified God in me." 

Dear reader, will you not let the Lord be glorified in 
you ? O my poor sick one, again I say, Let the Lord have 
your sickness. Why do you bear it when the Lord is so 
willing to bear it all for you ? Don't you see how useless 
it is for you to bear it when the Lord has so gladly taken 
upon Himself our infirmities? In vain for Him to bear 
it if you bear it also. You are free indeed. The Lord 
bears it all for you. You need only to believe it, my 
brother, my sister. Give Him all your burden of sin, — 
that evil habit. It may seem a small thing, but it is 
enough to separate you from God. Let it go ; accept the 
freedom. "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed 
unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our 
Lord." The Lord is faithful who has promised, and He 
says for our encouragement, "If ye abide in me, and my 
v/ord abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall 
be done unto you" ; 'If ye shall ask anything in My 
name, I will do it" ; "And this is the confidence that we 
have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His 
v/ill. He heareth us : and if we know that He heareth us, 
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions 
that we desired of Him." 

My heart bubbles over day by day, not with an un- 
usual, worked-up excitement, but an inward joy; and I 
am ready to sing with the heart, 

"I feel like singing all the time, my tears are wiped away; 
For Jesus is a friend of mine, I'll serve Him every day." 



The price of this book, "The Proclamation of Liberty 
and the Unpardonable Sin," is, in cloth, $1.00; in half 
morocco, $1.30. 



BY THE SAME AUTHOR 

"Power for Witnessing" 

Contains 200 Pages and 44 Chapters 

''The message of the book is the Spirit's 
answer to the writer's heart-cries for power 
for Christian living and labor/^ 

The author leads the reader step by step 
by means of the Scriptures, through pardon 
for sin, victory over sin, and then to the 
receiving of the Holy Spirit for power to 
witness to others. 

At each step the author tells his own 
experience in receiving these gifts of God's 
grace. 

A practical book. Interesting and help- 
ful to both sinner and saint. 

Bound in Cloth, 75 Cents 

ADDRESS 

A. F. BALLENGER 

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA 



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